Frostbitten Hearts
by SuperRadSlime
Summary: Frostbitten Hearts tells the tale of Frostbite, a young IceWing who's been raised by SkyWings almost since hatching. To ensure his safety, his family moved down the Diamond Spray River to a village of SkyWing rejects called Diamond Spray Town. He was thankful for what he had, but soon, old rivalries reawaken and force Frostbite to realize that life can change in an instant.
1. Prologue

**~ PROLOGUE ~**

 _7 Years Before the End of the Great War. . ._

Amber was flying gracefully through the cloudless sky. The warm, gentle sun brilliantly reflected the clementine scales on her long, slender body, blessing them with a golden gleam. An enlighteningly cool breeze blew past her face, whooshing over her ears and taking all her troubles with it as the scent of fresh pine greeted her nostrils.

Off in the distance, she spied the grand outline of her home: the Sky Palace, accompanied by its heavily fortified walls and towers that pierced the atmosphere with their surreal height and pointed tips, like mountains, only thinner.

As she tilted her head downward, the soaring SkyWing gazed upon the lush, green hills far below, admiring the simplicity of the humble mounds before returning her focus to the open air.

Days like these were best spent flying free with no burdens weighing down upon one's enormous wings… except that there should be, for Amber, at least. Guard duty was not something she was particularly fond of, though, she understood the necessity of defending her kingdom. However, why Captain Canary selected her of all dragons, especially over her brave, strong husband, Nimbus, or any other fierce SkyWing for the matter, she could not comprehend.

The SkyWing tribe was known for both their courage and power, but Amber herself wasn't nearly as confident as many of her colleagues positioned themselves to be. She could never picture herself filling any heroic role within the words of incredibly valiant war tales relayed to her by old veterans who now tried to live peaceful lives away from war and fighting.

Amber had been taken through and pondered many exciting stories, her personal favorite being…

 _Focus!_ She reminded herself. The orange SkyWing knew she had to remain concentrated, lest she meet a fate similar to that of her airheaded brother, Falcon.

 _Poor Falcon. He never even had a fighting chance! Why, he was even younger than I am now! Or was he? Arrgh! I'm drifting again!_

She descended swiftly upon a nearby clearing beside the Diamond Spray River. After landing with her front claws submerged in the stream, Amber scooped up a clawful of the freezing water, cupped it within her talons, and repeatedly splashed it over her face. The cold liquid ran in between her scales and sharpened her mind as she folded her wings.

The mildly frustrated SkyWing then turned herself toward the woods, surveying the area while shivering from the spreading chill.

The ground beneath her was moist, soft, and warm with a few patches of mud splotched here and there. As the roaring river ran over the bed of smooth pebbles resting beneath its surface, thousands of water droplets scattered over the edge of the canal, coating Amber's scales with their reflective surfaces. Sunlight peered through the tree branches above, casting the illusion of lively rainbows dancing throughout the stream.

Healthy vegetation flourished as far as the eye could see within the forest east of the Sky Palace. Hundreds of trees stood tall and mighty as tiny, cheerful birds chattered noisily upon their firm branches. Lesser bushes sprouted near the roots, brandishing many colorful fruits and leaves possessing every shade of green.

 _This is dreadfully boring,_ Amber thought to herself, flexing her talons in the river. _I'm stuck out here with no one to talk to and nothing to do except look out for danger that most certainly is NOT_ _here. Maybe I could try to take a nap… No, there's bound to be plenty of other SkyWings patrolling today. If I'm caught, Canary will have my head._

Captain Canary had acquired an impressive reputation of being strict and commanding in her few years of guard captaining. Often, she threatened to do dreadful things to disobedient soldiers, the most common being beheading. Amber was unsure just how true each statement was, though, she hadn't seen lazy, little Cinnabar lately.

 _Better safe than sorry,_ she decided.

After coming to the conclusion that there was nothing worth inspecting further in her current position, Amber shifted her wings with a satisfying crack and prepared herself to take to the skies once more. Just as her talons were about to leave the ground, the clementine SkyWing sensed something unusual. A rustling, almost like a whisper, emanated from the dense forest behind her, making her ears twitch.

With a startled expression, Amber whirled around to stare at where the disturbance seemed to have come from: a large bush. Her cloudy orange eyes narrowed into slits as she scanned the dark green leaves of the shrubbery, searching for movement.

The giant plant could easily conceal a fully grown dragon within its dense figure, though Amber wanted to believe the noise came from a rabbit, squirrel, or even the slow wind.

However, even she knew the disturbance was much too great. It must have been if she could hear it over the raging waters. A worrisome thought squirmed its way into the frightened SkyWing's head as her scales began to tingle, sensing that whatever was concealed within was watching her, maybe even plotting her demise.

Cautiously, Amber took a few steps toward the bush, feeling her claws sink in the mud beneath her talons. Once she was a dragon's length from the plant, she dared not to tread any closer. She knew it was vital to keep her distance; it wasn't unlikely the hidden being could spring out at her and end her life if it was dangerous enough.

Suddenly, her heart began to race like lightning as she gritted her teeth so hard she could feel a sharp pain in her jaw.

Although Amber wanted nothing more than to spread her wings and escape far, far away from the supposed danger and back to the refuge that was the open sky, she knew it was her duty to her tribe to investigate. Fleeing was likely to get her in even more trouble than whoever she was facing right now.

Although she often scoured these woods for prey, Amber had never been in a tooth-and-claw battle with another dragon before. Her only experience came from mandatory guard training, in which Captain Canary never missed out on an opportunity to point out how disappointing she was.

Despite this, Amber gathered her courage, or what little she could accumulate of the thing, and cleared her throat.

"Step out where I can see you," she ordered in a voice a tad too feeble for her liking, faltering in the middle of her sentence.

As Amber announced her command, all the chatter of the forest ended abruptly, as if the whole world had been muted by an unseen force. Even the river's aggressive tone seemed to die down for the event, which did nothing to boost Amber's failing confidence.

Silence. Nothing happened. No one moved.

Her only relief from the mind-numbing tranquility was the voice in her head which shrieked, "Run away! Be safe! Stay alive!"

The SkyWing guard quickly dismissed its frightful tone. This was going to be her moment of bravery- her chance to prove to herself that she wasn't entirely a coward, though, she might also prove herself a fool if there really was no danger lurking in the underbrush.

After a few unsettling moments, Amber spat on the ground in front of her and straightened her neck in an attempt to seem more intimidating.

Before speaking again, she cleared her throat, hoping to add a shred of confidence to her tone.

"Reveal yourself this instant, or I'm scorching your hiding spot, along with your sorry scales."

At this point, she knew she had to be talking to another dragon, or something very large waiting in the overgrowth. Any fox, squirrel, or bear would have fled already.

Amber could feel the ominous quiet creeping on her back. She shrugged it off before the tingling feeling caused her to lose her nerve.

As the time she allotted ticked away, Amber could feel the ominous quiet creeping on her back. She shrugged it off before the tingling made her lose her nerve.

Ready to ignite the giant plant, Amber opened her mouth, smoke curling through her nostrils and around her snout as an orange glow flared in the back of her throat.

Suddenly, the sound of freezing water being poured on blazing coals filled her ears. Someone was hissing at her.

Leaves brushed aside as a dragon the color of glaciers crept out of the bush in a crouched position, like a lion stalking its prey, scraping the ground with her sharp talons after every step.

Amber had never seen an IceWing up close before. Her only experience with the tribe's dragons were the depressing ones kept up on pillars in the sky dungeon, draped in chains.

The ice dragon's scales glistened in the sunlight like aquamarine and diamond gemstones that had just been polished, though, dry mud was speckled across her thin legs and snout. Although the IceWing was considerably smaller than Amber, the many icicle-like spines standing tall over her neck, spine, and tail made her seem like a formidable opponent.

There was only one thing Amber noticed shining brighter than the IceWing's scales. A sapphire earring cut in the shape of a teardrop with a thin, silver lining around its edges dangled from her left side of her head.

As the agitated IceWing drew closer, her spiked tail lashing out behind her like a snake, Amber suddenly wished she'd decided to wear her armor today. Although her heart was beating faster than it ever had before, she tried to hold her posture and intimidate the smaller dragon with her size, but she could sense her legs trembling, revealing her weakness.

For a moment, the two dragons remained dormant, locked in each others' gaze. The newcomer's eyes presented a glossy black surface with white light reflecting off of where the sun shone. While they didn't seem particularly menacing, they certainly didn't appear friendly either.

Amber knew that IceWings were supposed to be quick and dangerous, but her panicked thoughts prevented her from recalling more information. Nothing revealed itself to her besides stories upon stories about how cruel IceWings were, as well as the dreadful voice in her head repeating, "I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die…"

The panicked SkyWing stood motionless, completely trapped inside of her own head when the IceWing lunged forward with sharp claws and talons outstretched.

Amber snapped out of the daze she had been imprisoned within and recoiled, pushing her front claws off of the ground, but lacking the agility to avoid the strike entirely. Cold talons grazed the side of her neck like frozen razor blades, even colder than the river. A stream of crimson red leaked from her new wound.

Upon landing, Amber's back legs plunged into the river, one of them being punctured while brushing against a sharp rock that protruded from the mud. The injured SkyWing slammed her front claws back onto the ground and roared in agony as her back legs became engulfed in the mire.

Smoke now pouring from her nostrils, Amber made an attempt to leap out of the river toward the hostile IceWing; however, the combination of sludge holding her down in the water and the pain erupting from her leg didn't grant her the force she needed to reach her opponent.

Amber came down flat upon the ground, flapping her wings wildly in a desperate attempt to return to her claws. Her opponent hunched over, preparing to strike again in the SkyWing's ruefully weakened state.

As Amber finally managed to return to her claws, she sensed what felt like a cold boulder slam into her side and knock her off balance once again. She fell onto her back, one of her wings landing awkwardly beneath her. Without a second to waste, the tiny IceWing then pounced on top of her and opened her mouth as she dug her claws into Amber's shoulders, causing the agonized SkyWing to wince.

At first, Amber thought the IceWing sought to bite her with her collection of whitened teeth, but soon noticed the buildup of brilliant light in her opponent's blue throat.

 _Frost breath,_ she realized in horror.

Amber had seen countless SkyWing soldiers being treated for gruesome war wounds inflicted by IceWing frost. She didn't intend to be the next victim.

The panicked SkyWing felt a new strength growing within her. The overwhelming burst of power unleashed a roar at her adversary with such ferocity she didn't believe the cry came from herself.

The noise pushed her attacker off balance, loosening her grip on Amber's shoulders. With force she did not know she had possessed, Amber shoved the IceWing off of her and back onto the dirt.

The enraged SkyWing felt an intense burning in her chest as she rolled back onto her claws. With blood dripping from neck and leg, Amber growled fiercely as smoke erupted from her nostrils like a volcano. Black vapor engulfed her face as the ice dragon grunted and tried to lunge again.

With a furious roar, Amber released a small inferno directly into the hapless IceWing's side. Sparks of flame flew astray as the IceWing fell back into the forest, setting small ferns ablaze. She screeched in ear-splitting agony as scorch marks quickly slithered up her silver scales like black snakes of death, painted by the growing flame.

In an attempt to reach the freezing river, the smoking dragon rolled back onto her claws and tried to dart past Amber. Before she could get anywhere near the water's salvation, the furious SkyWing stood in her path and turned instantaneously, smacking the blazing dragon in the chest with her tail, knocking the wind from her lungs.

Any mercy Amber might have spared in a better time was gone, replaced by nothing but pure rage.

With a loud thump, the IceWing hit the floor, her wings flailing helplessly as she writhed in pain.

Before she had a chance to gather herself, Amber pounced on top of the wounded dragon faster than a striking cobra and pinned her to the ground. The sheer cold of the IceWing's scales mixed with the intensity of her own flame almost made the clementine SkyWing lose her balance.

Without wasting another second, Amber wrapped her claws firmly around the smaller dragon's scorched neck, and with a sickening snap, ended her enemy's suffering. The sound sent shivers running down Amber's spine, even colder than the IceWing's scales.

As the ice dragon's motion ceased, Amber stepped aside, panting with exhilaration. She stared at the body with pity in her eyes as she returned from her enraged state. Amber expected to feel relief, or maybe even pride for finally coming out on top of one of her many fears, though, she hated everything about the violence. The pain, injury, and death- all things that could have been avoided if it weren't for the SandWing War of Succession.

She despised the claws of conflict that were taking hold of Pyrrhia, tearing the continent apart and turning good dragons into killers. Even herself, she realized with a shudder. Murder was not something she was looking forward to doing again, but she knew she would have to, eventually, or she would end up dead herself.

The hopeless feeling of remorse creeping up inside of her, churning her stomach and making her want to throw up.

 _No,_ she ordered herself, suppressing the sorrow. _Do not pity the enemy._

But she did. She felt sorry for all of those whose lives were stripped from them by the ever-present violence dividing the tribes yet again. Peace seemed utterly unobtainable considering Pyrrhia's long history of wars and hatred.

As Amber tilted her head toward the ground with tears in her eyes, she noticed a small puddle of crimson blood, fed by the wound in her neck. As she moved her claw to examine the injury, she was given a sharp shock, prompting her to draw her talons away.

 _Painful, but not life-threatening. Still, it will leave a scar…_

Cleaning the gash before it got infected seemed like her top priority, so the injured SkyWing trudged over to the running river and dipped her talons in the clear, blue liquid. She lowered her claws far enough to pick up one of the smooth, beige pebbles, but decided not to dip into the water entirely. The river's frigid waters were still flowing fast enough to sweep her away if she let her guard down.

As she gently scrubbed the hardened blood from herself, Amber wished she could be resting back at her home in the Sky Palace, letting her troubles drift away as she rested atop a pile of soft animal furs as the small torch on the wall provided a gentle glow.

Nimbus' large, red figure would be lying by her side, tending to her wounds as he gave her updates on the war; he was into that sort of thing. In fact, the crimson SkyWing was well on his way to becoming a commander in the army. His duties to the kingdom could range from him being gone for a few weeks at a time to several years, though, he was to receive quite a lengthy break in just two more. Of course, he'd object to the idea, but Amber knew he'd love nothing more than a chance to be with her again.

 _Nimbus. The only SkyWing who sees anything more than a pathetic, cowardly spirit residing within me, even if he can be a bit tempered at times. Yes, sometimes he can be quite rude, like that one time I… Enough daydreaming._

After thoroughly rinsing the cuts on her neck and leg, Amber turned her head and noticed a white light bouncing off of the dead IceWing's ear, reflecting a silver sparkle. As the clementine SkyWing stepped closer, she noticed the earring still seemed to be completely intact from their battle

Deciding the IceWing wouldn't need it anymore, Amber carefully removed the gemstone artifact and fitted it upon her own ear, puncturing a new hole in the process. Although it made her head feel lopsided, the eye-catching gem was too beautiful a treasure to pass up.

Unable to stand the odor of death any longer, Amber turned toward the forest, hoping the familiarity of the trees she'd grown up around would soothe her soul.

Although Captain Canary would expect her to report the mysterious IceWing right away, she decided a chance to catch her breath before flying back to the guard camp could do no harm.

Amber advanced east into the woods, away from the river, wondering if it was still wrong to steal from a deceased dragon. She traveled deeper until bird cries and bushes surrounded her, then sat in a grassy patch between the mighty pines.

The trees fractured sunlight with their leaves, allowing small, star-like shadows to be cast upon the forest floor.

Oblivious to the beauty of the surrounding forest- Amber fiddled with her new earring between her talons, pondering the severity of the situation she had gotten herself into. It was unlikely that her attacker had come alone into such dangerous territory.

As far as she knew, half the IceWing army could be lurking nearby, planning an attack on the Sky Palace, or maybe even the homes in the Claws of the Clouds Mountains.

The thought of an attack didn't comfort Amber in the slightest; she knew dragons who lived in both areas. As soon as night fell and her task was over, informing Captain Canary of the unusual IceWing would be her top priority.

When the sun reached the center of the sky above, another noise resonated from deeper within the woods. The sound resembled a sort of roar, though unusually high pitched, almost like a chirp, standing out amongst all the other cries of the forest.

No animal she'd ever encountered entered Amber's mind as her ears picked up the call, yet, she couldn't shake the sense of familiarity that came with it. Curious, she turned and headed toward the disturbance with little hesitation, further into the forest.

She marched stealthily through the pine-smelling overgrowth, slithering through thin trees and tall bushes.

After traveling for less than a minute, she heard the cry once more, to her left, as if the creature responsible were right beside her. Amber turned and noticed a patch of sunlight shining down on a circular clearing. Taking cover behind a large-trunked pine, she peered into the area.

Much to her surprise, waiting in the middle of the clearing, laying on its side in a small patch of grass surrounded by dirt and stones was a small dragonet. An IceWing dragonet.

Amber's eyes narrowed into slits as she studied the young dragon as millions of thoughts raced through her head. Without any doubt, she realized it had a striking resemblance to the one she had previously slain.

His scales were the same glistening colors with the same dazzling patterns. His eyes, like glossy, black beads didn't seem the least bit threatening.

If size were any indication, he couldn't have been more than a few days of age. Even then, Amber decided he seemed smaller than most hatchlings, though she couldn't say for sure how large IceWings were supposed to be.

Oblivious to her presence, the infant IceWing continued lounging in the clearing, flicking his spiked tail back and forth, crying out weakly.

 _Crying out for his mother_ , Amber realized with a stab of guilt. _And I killed her. Oh, moons! The poor thing…_

Amber didn't know what to do. The urge to come closer and interact with the dragonet pulled on her, yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about the whole situation.

Eventually, the warm-hearted SkyWing's curiosity got the best of her and she stepped out of the trees, taking little care to be stealthy as she approached the young IceWing.

Upon Amber's arrival, the dragonet chirped in surprise, but didn't seem particularly alarmed by her presence. A look of pure delight covered his face as he smiled at her excitedly, perhaps relieved to finally have some company. Amber was unsure of how long the little dragon had been waiting there, all alone.

Still, she found it bizarre how such a young dragonet showed not even an ounce of fear toward a dragon so much larger than himself. She always thought dragonets remained timid for a time after hatching; Amber herself hadn't willingly adventured beyond the shelter of her mother's wing until she was at least a few months old.

Eager to meet the clementine-colored dragon, the IceWing dragonet lifted himself from the grass and chirped at Amber once more, staring her directly in the eyes. His legs were shaking like blades of grass on a windy day, having a hard time keeping him upright.

Amber smiled back at him and slowly extended a claw in his direction. Without wasting another second, the dragonet stumbled over and rubbed his spiked head affectionately against her talons. His scales were ice-cold, as to be expected with dragons from his tribe.

 _Aww. What a little sweetheart,_ Amber thought to herself with a small sense of relief.

As the clementine SkyWing resumed playing with the energetic dragonet, she couldn't help but wonder how he and his mother ended up in SkyWing territory to begin with.

 _Surely his mother wasn't some sort of spy. There's no way she would have brought her dragonet into such dangerous territory on purpose. Perhaps she was fleeing from something… I have no idea what. Moons, I feel awful for this poor little IceWing. Every dragonet should have a mother and… and a father._

Suddenly, realization struck her like a bolt of lightning. Amber jumped back, her wings spread outward in a defensive position, causing the young IceWing to chirp loudly again and falter, rolling backward in the dirt.

Wary of the dark eyes that may be watching her, the panicked SkyWing's head darted left and right.

 _Of course his father has to be nearby if his mother was over by the river. No parent would leave such a young dragonet alone for long._

She shot back into the cover of the woods, stirring up some nearby birds in her wake. The startled dragonet attempted to follow her, but caught his talons on a large pebble and hit the ground softly as Amber hid behind another tree and waited. He called out to her, a look of utter devastation on his face.

 _How could I have been so foolish? I may have gotten myself into a whole world of trouble again already._

Much to her surprise, the IceWing's father didn't show himself immediately and pursue her, giving Amber a chance to catch her breath.

 _That could've turned out very poorly for me; I need to be more careful._

As Amber peered back into the clearing, she felt her heart drop as the young dragonet stared wistfully toward the spot she'd disappeared into the trees.

 _Aww. He must hate being alone. Maybe I should stay with him for just a bit longer… No. No, I should probably go before something dreadful happens again._

In the end, Amber decided to watch the young dragonet for a while, just to make sure his father came back for him. Although she knew it was dangerous to wait around for an IceWing to show up, she couldn't consciously leave the little one alone in the woods without knowing that he was safe.

* * *

Nothing particularly exciting happened while Amber kept an eye on the young IceWing. He wandered the clearing for a while, supposedly searching for his parents before collapsing on top of a smooth, gray rock, frowning as he closed his eyes.

Amber felt her whole body vibrate as her stomach roared at her, but she could only think about how hungry the small dragonet must be too.

 _Why do I feel sorrow for this IceWing? He is the enemy; he would kill me if he were bigger and stronger._ However, as she studied the innocent blue heap on the rock, she couldn't help but feel that wasn't true.

Soon, the darkness came, yet, the dragonet's father was nowhere to be seen. The dragonet looked up, lifting his head towards the twinkling stars and three moons glistening in the sky. Two of which were full, bathing him in gentle blue light, helping his scales shine. Although it was very late into the night, the glowing orbs in the sky provided just enough light to illuminate the clearing.

Despite her better judgment, Amber chose to wait even longer, far past the time she was ordered to return to the guard camp. There was no doubt in her mind Canary would be furious if she didn't show up to give her report, however, this wouldn't be the first time she was late. Perhaps this behavior was now expected of her, though she would still be punished by the infamous Captain Canary.

 _I must seem so pathetic to other SkyWings. I'm never on time for anything, terribly unorganized, and now I'm pitying the descendant of an IceWing. For my entire life, I've been raised to believe that all IceWings, no matter how serene or stable they seem, are awful, ruthless creatures with no morals. That can't be true, can it? They're still dragons, after all. Even the one that attacked me only did it to defend her dragonet. Come to think of it, she probably would have left me alone if I didn't bother her first._

Eventually, Amber reached the conclusion that the IceWing's father was not coming back for him. No one was. As the night grew cold, she started shivering.

The chilled SkyWing knew she had to return home soon, or Nimbus would come looking for her.

 _As much as I don't want to admit it, he'd turn the kingdom upside down to find me. It wouldn't be fair to make him worry like that, especially after all we've been through._

Amber had almost made the decision to take off and rush for the guard camp when she heard the dragonet cry at the moons. She turned to him. He was sad, hungry, and alone, but not freezing, at least.

Amber could feel her heart shattering. She wanted to go wrap her wings around him, provide comfort, or even just let him know he wasn't alone, but really, he was. He was an IceWing stranded in the kingdom of the sky, like a mouse in an empty field, hawks spiraling overhead. No chance. No hope.

Amber knew what she could do, should do, maybe, but wasn't sure if it was the best idea.

 _What would Nimbus say? There's no way the queen would allow this. We'd definitely have to move out of the palace, but Nimbus loves it there. What if we have to leave the kingdom? I've never been beyond the border before…_

After some tense consideration, Amber decided she had made the best choice, although there were no good solutions to the ordeal.

 _What I did today changed his life. It's only fair I let him do the same to me._

Slowly and silently, she sauntered over to the rock of which the infant dragon was lying on, feeling her hopes for a bright future with Nimbus slowly slipping away.

The dragonet perked up instantly when he saw Amber approaching. He slipped off the rock and staggered over to her, greeting her as if he already trusted her with his life.

His scales shined in the moonlight, like a firefly in a dark cave, a bright star in a blackened night sky, a diamond in a pile of coal. He certainly made Amber feel humbled by her looks.

She laid down in front of the IceWing as he poked his snout against hers. Eager to get closer to his new friend, he reached up and placed a claw over the cut on Amber's neck, causing her to wince until his cold talons numbed the wound.

Once he remained still, Amber scooped the little IceWing up in her talons and held him close to her face as he made peaceful chirping sounds. He accidentally poked her with a few of his many head spikes as he brushed his face against her neck. His scales felt even colder than the night air, yet Amber could sense his warm heart, like a gentle flame providing light and security.

 _This is a bad idea._

"Hey there, little one," she spoke as soothingly as she could while affectionately stroking the back of his head.

 _I can't take him home with me!_

"I'll take you home with me."

 _Nimbus is going to kill me…_

"And I'll call you," she noticed him bite down on the sapphire earring and tug gently, "Frostbite."


	2. Chapter 1

**\- Chapter 1 -**

 _6 Years Later…_

"Come on, iceberg, wake up!"

Frostbite grunted loudly as, groggily, he lifted his head from his sleeping position on the soft collection of animal furs near the cave's exit. His eyes were still droopy and half closed when he met his little sister's excited gaze.

Topaz had a beaming smile that glowed a lot brighter than the torch burning on the stone wall above their mother's sleeping place. The little, goldenrod SkyWing pounced on Frostbite and rustled him awake.

"Hey, you big iceberg! I said 'get up!'" she ordered cheerfully as she stomped all over his light blue scales. "Mother has a surprise for you. _Brr,_ why are you always so _cold_!"

Big was a bit of an overstatement for Frostbite's size. Actually, he was barely larger than Topaz, who was just two years younger than him.

"A nice surprise," the drowsy IceWing stated sternly while gently shoving Topaz off of him, "would be a few more moments of sleep."

"Come _on_ , _"_ she insisted playfully as she fell to the ground."Mother's waiting for you!"

Frostbite, realizing that he couldn't get any rest like this, reluctantly agreed to go. Slowly, he lifted himself off of his blankets, stretched his wings, and proceeded to walk on the smooth, gray stone toward the exit of their home.

Beyond the circular opening, the sky presented a deep purple hue with orange creeping up from below, just enough to cast the illusion of sunlight.

Peace and tranquility covered the hills of Diamond Spray Town; the only noises to be heard were the flowing of the river and the loud snoring of sleeping SkyWings in other small holes dug into the hillside nearby. The large, flat rocks that housed the town's tiny marketplace near the stream were completely desolate. Besides the pair of dragonet siblings, it seemed there was no one else around.

Frostbite tilted his head up toward the horizon. The cold morning breeze snapped him awake instantly as it blew over his glittering scales, however, he could see his sister shaking.

"Topaz," he asked with concern on his face, "why did you bring us out so early?"

"So nobody will see you, you big iceberg," she explained while flexing her talons in the wet grass. "Also, Mother wanted to be there to give you your hatching day present. I think she's too paranoid about other dragons reporting you to the SkyWing patrol. No offense, but you're not _exactly_ the stealthiest dragon I've ever met. _I_ think there are plenty of dragons who know you're here but aren't particularly bothered by it."

"Why would they be? I've never caused any trouble," Frostbite declared, spreading his wings to catch more of the morning air.

"Which is exactly why you've been living for here six years and the worst thing that's ever happened to you is getting stuck with _me_ as your sister!" she giggled, brushing her wingtips with his.

"Moons, have mercy on me," Frostbite agreed, smiling down at her. She shrugged, then turned to stare at the sunrise.

"You know," she stated with a hint of excitement, "I've heard rumors about a RainWing hiding somewhere in town! A _RainWing_! Isn't that _mysterious_? Where do you think they're hiding? Thunderstorm told me RainWings can change the colors of their scales, so they could be hiding anywhere! In fact, they might be right… _here_!"

Topaz leaped and spun around in a half-circle, her eyes glowing like stars as if she expected the accused RainWing to appear right in front of her. When no such dragon appeared, she turned to her older brother, who was trying desperately not to fall over laughing.

" _Anyway_ … Mother has guard duty, _again_ , so we better go find her before she has to go. _Brr_ , I hope the surprise is _really_ nice because I'm _freezing_ out here!"

Frostbite stared at her sympathetically as white steam escaped from her jaw and curled around her snout.

"So," he wondered aloud, "would it really be so bad if I tried meeting more SkyWings? The dragons here are so wonderful. Most of them, anyway. They don't care about the war; that's probably why there aren't any guards patrolling the inside of town."

"Frostbite," Topaz responded, still shivering, "there wouldn't be any guards around here even if they were _wanted_. I overheard that the SkyWings living in the palace and mountains where Mother grew up don't care about this place. Dragons move here to escape the consequences of war, but _apparently_ , that makes us inferior."

She shook her head, staring down at her talons. "That doesn't bother _me_ , but Father seems to think he has to take part in the war. He's been fighting since before either of us hatched. _Ugh_ … I can't imagine why anybody would _want_ to kill other dragons, especially for a war that should've had _nothing_ to do with either of our tribes."

Frostbite nodded slowly, a thoughtful frown making its way onto his face.

"I don't remember Father very well," he started. "He was only around for a few days before you hatched and a few days after. I… I don't think he likes me very much."

"Cheer up, Frostbite," Topaz ordered, leading him on a winding, dirt path that led away from the hillside where many of the residential caves were located. "He's probably just grumpy because of all the killing he has to do. It won't be long now until the _great_ prophecy comes true!"

"When the war has lasted twenty years, the dragonets will come," Frostbite echoed, shaking his head. "I just wish they'd come sooner."

Topaz giggled, the cool wind carrying her dragonet-like voice up toward the caves nearby.

Suddenly, shouting emerged from one of the holes dug into the hillside above.

"You two, _shut up_!" the voice roared furiously, sparking fear in Frostbite's chest. "You dragonets better be quiet before I come out there and silence you myself!"

The frightened IceWing dove into a patch of tall grass sticking out of the hillside to avoid being seen if the owner of the aggravated SkyWing decided to step out and scold them further.

"Sorry, Robin!" Topaz called back, her tone more arrogant than apologetic. She then turned to Frostbite, who was lying motionless on the ground, holding his breath. "Guess we better keep it down…"

* * *

As an IceWing being raised in the village of SkyWings, life was certainly a strange experience for Frostbite.

Typically, he'd spend most of his days hiding inside his mother's cave, only coming out late at night, early in the morning, or whenever there weren't many dragons about. Contrary to the hard-working residents of the Sky Palace, the SkyWings in Diamond Spray Town loved their sleep, so finding an appropriate time to sneak out wasn't much of a challenge.

Still, his mother feared that if the young IceWing were to venture outside during the day, he would be spotted and captured by someone who didn't approve of him living in the settlement.

Frostbite, however, harbored no fear toward SkyWings themselves. Rather, he had a strong sense of admiration towards the large-winged dragons and even wished to be one himself. Most SkyWings didn't seem nearly as angry or grouchy as his mother warned him they could be.

* * *

The pair followed the worn dirt path out of town and into the forest.

Frostbite took some time to admire the tranquility of the woods as he trod lightly, hoping not to scare away any forest life.

The sun was still only starting its ascent, casting dark shadows of trees on the trail. Leaves rustled in the gentle breeze, accompanied by the occasional hoot of an early-morning owl.

As the tranquil IceWing enjoyed the scent of pine, Topaz suddenly bounded forward and seized a round, green rock in her talons, then sighed dramatically when she discovered it wasn't a giant emerald.

"You pick up that stone every time we come through here," Frostbite noted. "Next time, you should put it back somewhere you won't see it." Topaz sneered at him with a sheepish grin.

"What do you think mother got you as a gift?" she wondered aloud, trying to change the subject. "Maybe she got a great, big _diamond_! _Ooh_ … I'd _love_ one of those!"

"Maybe you should ask her for one before your obsession changes again," Frostbite reasoned as he waved his talons in the air. "Last time, you had poor Mother tearing up the fields, trying to find a four-leafed clover."

The goldenrod SkyWing gently poked the circular copper locket that dangled around her neck.

"Yeah," she sighed, "but it still hasn't given me any good luck… yet. All these rocks _still_ aren't rubies or sapphires! Speaking of sapphires, that earring you're wearing is _stunning_. I love how its round shape closes at the top to a point, just like a teardrop. Actually, it looks nicer than any piece of jewelry I've ever seen Mother wear. Where did you get it? You've been wearing it for as long as I can remember."

"Hmm," Frostbite wondered, placing his talons on either side of his ear. "I've never really thought about that before." He continued to ponder the question, but couldn't seem to recall the origin of the gemstone artifact. "Honestly, I'm not sure where it came from. Even in my earliest memories, it's still there, hanging on my ear just as it always has. Maybe Mother knows; I'll ask her."

"Well, that earring is nicer than _everything_ Mother has given me combined. I think she's playing favorites," Topaz teased.

* * *

As the two continued deeper into the overgrowth, the curious IceWing knew instinctively where they were going: the clearing where his mother first found him.

Eventually, Frostbite spied a small patch of sunlight, illuminating the dewdrops on the ground. In the sun's rays, he noticed Amber resting peacefully. Her eyes were closed and her head was pointed up, tranquility emanating from her glowing scales.

"How come she gets to sleep in?" Frostbite whispered to Topaz with a playful shove.

The goldenrod dragonet shrugged, then gestured for Frostbite to move forward, smiling as he walked by.

Silently, he approached his mother and gently pressed his snout into her neck on the side opposite from her claw mark scar to make sure he wouldn't hurt her. He could barely reach her without standing on his back legs.

After feeling his cold scales, she awoke from her daydream and stared down at him with friendly, citrine-colored eyes.

"Good morning, Frostbite," she greeted him with a yawn.

"Good morning, Mother," Frostbite chirped, enjoying the heat of her scales. "It's so nice to see you before you have to go."

"It's wonderful to see you too," Amber assured him, her kind smile warming his heart. "I hope it wasn't too much trouble to come meet me here."

"Not at all," Frostbite informed her, deciding she didn't need to know about their close encounter with Robin. She had enough things to worry about.

"I'm glad to hear that," Amber continued softly. "Happy hatc- erm, happy anniversary, darling. Moons, you're getting old." She examined him with orange eyes, her face expressing both joy and sorrow at the same time. "Sorry, your present isn't anything too special. I had a hard time finding something I could afford."

Amber picked up a scroll lying neatly rolled up beside her and handed it to Frostbite.

"This is a record of some major events that happened in IceWing history and is supposedly a copy of ones similar in the Ice Kingdom. I thought it seemed rather interesting and wondered if you might be just a little curious about the other IceWings."

Frostbite grasped it in his talons and stared at it thoughtfully.

"A _scroll_?" Topaz groaned, making no effort to hide her disappointment. "You brought us out here in this _freezing_ weatherfor a _scroll_? And it's not even a _fun_ one, it's just boring history!"

The clementine SkyWing shifted her head back, mildly shocked by the sudden outburst. Embarrassment made its way onto her face as she lowered her neck.

"A scroll," Frostbite remarked, with stars in his eyes. "There aren't any libraries or scroll markets in town, so that must mean… you flew all the way to the Sky Palace to get this for me, didn't you?" Amber failed to hide a little smirk as she shrugged her wings. "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!" Frostbite exclaimed. "This means so much to me!"

"Oh, it's no big deal, Frostbite. I have to go by the Sky Palace whenever Canary assigns me as a guard anyway, which you know happens quite often," Amber assured him with a mellow tone. "I'm thoroughly convinced that she just likes bossing me around."

For a while, the warm SkyWing sat and stared at him, smiling as he tinkered with the scroll's wrinkled edges.

Soon the sun rose and reflected off the dewdrops in the moist grass. "Oh, moons. I should probably get going now," Amber stated remorsefully, not wanting to leave her dragonets alone on such a special occasion. "I'm probably late again… Canary will have my head." She wrapped her enormous wings around Frostbite and Topaz too, who was still mildly outraged.

Frostbite always found it strange how Captain Canary decided to keep Amber on the guard team even after she moved to the settlement halfway between the Sky Palace and the Diamond Spray Delta.

Perhaps she did it out of a sense of loyalty to her team, or maybe it was merely because the SkyWing captain took pleasure in tormenting the orange SkyWing. Frostbite decided on the latter.

"You'd better go home now," Amber instructed Frostbite as she ran her talons through the spikes growing out of his neck. "Other SkyWings are probably waking up now, and I expect to see you safe and sound when I come home."

She then leaped into the air and soared toward the small guard camp along the Diamond Spray River.

"Wait, before you go, can you tell me about my earring?" Frostbite tried, but she was too far up in the sky. "Bye, Mother…"

"For my hatching day, you better get me the _biggest_ emerald the world has ever seen!" Topaz shouted, overpowering the small IceWing's voice with something that slightly resembled a grin on her face. Then, she turned her head to Frostbite. "You never learned how to read, did you?"

Frostbite sighed.


	3. Chapter 2

**\- Chapter 2 -**

Frostbite was rather fond of Amber and the way she was so gentle and kind- he'd even go as far as to say that she was his favorite dragon as he didn't feel humbled in her presence like he did with many others.

Though, he always wondered why she was assigned guard work so often by Captain Canary. He could never picture her harming another dragon. Ever.

As much as he loved the clementine SkyWing, he sometimes wondered about his real mother, too.

Did she think he was dead? Was she looking for him? Did she abandon him? Was she even alive?

Frostbite asked himself these questions often. He wanted to know what had happened the night Amber found him. He wanted to know how he ended up as an IceWing among SkyWings.

Of course, he had already asked these questions to Amber as well, who simply told him that she stumbled upon him one day, lying alone in the woods to the east of the Diamond Spray River. She claimed that she knew nothing of his parents, and decided to take him under her wing after they never came back for him.

The hopeful IceWing wanted to find his real mother and father soon- maybe one day when he was a little older, and the war was over. It shouldn't be much longer, now.

* * *

Frostbite lay outstretched on the refreshingly cool cave floor, his new scroll rolled out in front of him. Sunlight flared through the opening of the cave, partially shrouded by the cowskin cover.

He squinted hard at the strange symbols presented before him in black ink. The shapes seemed so bizarre, that Frostbite wondered how anyone could learn to understand them in the first place.

After nearly an hour of staring intently at the old papyrus, all he managed to procure was a splintering headache. He rolled up the scroll and groaned in frustration.

 _I'll have to ask Mother to read this for me when she gets home- whenever that may be. Or maybe… I could figure this out on my own. She would be so surprised!_

As he held the scroll close to his chest, Frostbite spied Topaz staring at him from across the room and felt a slight sense of embarrassment. She smiled at him weakly.

"I'm going to go hunting," she declared as she slowly walked in his direction. "Everyone is at the marketplace, so it'll be _easy_ to sneak out into the woods. Wanna come, you big iceberg?"

It was relatively for Frostbite to go dwell within the woods inside the sky territory. He just had to look out for the SkyWing guards, though, they rarely patrolled anywhere near the settlement.

"No thanks," he sighed as he began to unfurl the scroll once more. "I have to figure this out. Mother would be so impressed if I taught myself to read. I don't suppose you know what squiggly line, squiggly line, straight line means?"

Topaz shook her head and brushed her wingtips against his, which were spread out along the ground to soak up the cool of the stone floor.

"I'll bring you back a squirrel or something," she offered as her talons scraped across the ground. She brushed aside the entrance cover and stepped outside, leaving Frostbite alone with his puzzle.

* * *

Frostbite could no longer see the harsh rays of sunlight trying to enter the cave. He concluded that some thick clouds must be gathering high above, when somebody burst into the dwelling, moving faster than a rabbit trying to escape a wolf.

The young IceWing turned toward the sound of talons scraping on stone and wasn't too surprised to see Thunderstorm trying to skid to a halt.

The SkyWing who's scales shown the color of marigolds collided with Frostbite before he had a chance to avoid him and they both hit the floor.

The scroll flew from Frostbite's talons, then rolled beneath the wooden table in the center of the room which brandished many stains and scratches on it.

The tiny IceWing was easily squashed beneath the large SkyWing's bulk and found that he was unable to wriggle himself free from Thunderstorm's soft underbelly as he heard him laughing playfully.

After giggling for a bit, Thunderstorm hoisted himself off of Frostbite, who began gasping for air.

"Oops," Thunderstorm apologized with a smirk.

"Thunderstorm!" Frostbite complained. "What do you think you're doing? Can't you see I'm trying to read?"

"Read? Whatever you say, Frosty," Thunderstorm replied. "Anyway, I came to wish you a happy hatching day, or anniversary, or whatever Amber calls it, so, happy hatchiversary!"

Thunderstorm was noticeably large for his age of eight years. He was at least twice Frostbite's size with a few patches of golden scales placed around his claws and neck, blending in with his mostly orange body.

"Well, thank you for stopping by to _strangle_ me," Frostbite teased, playfully flicking him in the back of the head with his thin tail. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know how to read, would you? Mother got me this scroll, and I _really_ want to know what it says."

"Only a little bit," Thunderstorm answered eagerly. "My mother used to teach me before-," he paused, his bright yellow eyes staring down at his talons. "Before she left."

Frostbite noticed a sad expression make its way onto his usually cheerful face as he laid down sluggishly on his stomach.

Thunderstorm's mother had recently remarried herself to SkyWing of higher status, leaving him and his father behind. Her desire to dwell within the Sky Palace outweighed her loyalty to her family, which wasn't very heavy to begin with.

Diamond Spray Town was so uncared for and disregarded by the SkyWings of nobility that it lacked an education system, amongst several other things. There was no honor for the dragons who lived there. They were depicted as those who disliked combat and therefore labeled as inferior.

As for the case with _important_ SkyWings, being a fierce fighter was the only way to receive the much-desired recognition from their comrades, or even the queen, as well as the ever-present respect or loathing of lesser warriors.

"Oh," Frostbite uttered remorsefully, tilting his head downward. "I may not know my real mother, but at least I have Amber." A brief moment of silence passed.

"Well, that's in the past," Thunderstorm confirmed, his voice once again returning to its happy state. "If she doesn't want to be here now, then she's really missing out."

"I was going to ask if you would help me read this scroll," Frostbite admitted.

The little IceWing crawled beneath the table and carefully grasped the scroll in one claw. As he retreated, his head struck the bottom of the piece of furniture, presenting him with a sharp pain and causing the spikes on his neck and back to stand up as he clenched his jaw.

"You ok, Frosty?" Thunderstorm asked, looking up at the commotion.

"Yeah," Frostbite grunted as he tossed the scroll to the marigold SkyWing.

Thunderstorm caught it gracefully and began to unravel it across the floor.

"By the way," Thunderstorm stated as he continued to unroll the scroll, "those uh- icicles, I suppose, you have all over your spine are really cool. Ha! No pun intended."

Frostbite snickered and rolled his eyes.

"So, you can just get them to stick out whenever you want?" Thunderstorm wondered aloud as he spread the scroll over the animal furs on Frostbite's bed and under the table.

"It usually only happens when I'm surprised or scared," the young IceWing confirmed as he saw Thunderstorm heading for the archway the lead deeper into the cave. "Stop! That's the forbidden room! I don't think we're allowed in there. You don't need to roll it out any longer."

Thunderstorm stopped in his tracks and tilted his head toward Frostbite.

"Forbidden room?" he asked curiously. "Why is it forbidden?"

"Nimbus gets that room all to himself, and even though he's out at war, Mother says not to go in there," Frostbite stated apologetically.

"Oh, ok," Thunderstorm remarked. "What do you think is in there?"

"I don't know," Frostbite stated as he closed his eyes. "Probably lots of gold or something."

"I bet he's got loads of swords and spears and all the stuff soldiers get to use!" exclaimed the excited SkyWing. He then returned his focus to the papyrus in his claws. "Wow, this is the longest scroll I've ever seen."

"What does it say?" Frostbite questioned curiously as he climbed to the top of his bed. The soft furs brushed comfortably against his stomach. "Starting from the top."

Thunderstorm backed away from the great SkyWing's room, moved around the table, and ended up on top of the small IceWing's bed as well, both of his back legs and tail hanging off its round edge. Frostbite handed him the tip of the scroll.

"Hmm," the curious SkyWing muttered thoughtfully, grabbing onto where Frostbite's talons had previously been. "It says, 'A ree-co-lek-t-ion of hihs-tor-why ree-guah-ur-ding the I-see-why-neg tribby!'"

"Wow," Frostbite remarked in awe, his glossy eyes widening. "You're so smart! So, uh, what does that mean?"

"It means that Thunderstorm is really great and you should let him in the secret room!" he declared triumphantly, looking rather smug as he struck a tall pose.

"That's not what it says, bird brain!" Frostbite accused him jokingly as he sprung off his bed and tackled the boasting SkyWing.

They both hit the floor away from the primarily rolled out document, laughing as they wrestled playfully in front of the circular bed.

Thunderstorm knocked over the small wooden table with his broad tail as he quickly got the upper claw and sat on top of Frostbite until he begged for mercy.

* * *

Soon, no more light peered through the skin covered opening of the cave. The only glow inside the room radiated from a single torch.

"Ah, it's getting dark," Thunderstorm noticed, still feeling a little giddy. "Father will be wondering where I am. By the way, where's your sister? I haven't seen her all day."

"I'm right _here_!" Topaz exclaimed, looking up at them from her bed, which was positioned next to Amber's. "I've been here since you came _crashing_ in."

"Oh," Frostbite and Thunderstorm stated simultaneously with equal astonishment. They looked at each other, then back at the goldenrod SkyWing.

"You numbskulls," she teased and smirked at them.

"Well, I best be off," Thunderstorm decided. "Again, happy hatchiversary, Frostbite!"

And with that, he was gone. Frostbite watched as the large SkyWing's shape soared over the river and into one of the dimly lit caves on the other side.

The young IceWing then turned to Topaz, who was still lying calmly on her blankets.

"So, where's that squirrel you promised me?" He could hear his stomach growling. Topaz flung the small animal toward him almost immediately after he asked. It whacked him right on the snout.

* * *

Sitting outside in the grass, Frostbite was admiring the absolute beauty of the night sky. Each star twinkled with such a gentle shimmer, like a diamond, only more precious.

The moons, too, were a sight to behold. Although he could only see two of them, one only half full, the other seemed like a perfect circle, casting dim light over the land. It was so close, too, so close that Frostbite could count its craters- that is, if he knew how to count to a number higher than ten.

The gigantic globe threatened to crush all of Pyrrhia beneath its bright blue glow, but Frostbite wasn't concerned.

The moons had been around longer than anyone and never collided with the continent. At least, that's what Amber told him.

However, Frostbite did spy something heading towards him. The figure was hard to make out, even in the moonlight. Once it got closer, he realized that it was the silhouette of another dragon. The shape startled him at first, and he was about to go hide inside, but he soon realized that it was just Amber coming home from the guard camp.

She descended swiftly and landed right beside him, careful not to graze him with one of her humongous wings. The moons' glow coated her orange scales with a white glint.

"Hi, Mother!" Frostbite chirped happily as Amber folded her wings. "I missed you!"

"Ah, yes, hello Frostbite," she responded, exhausted from flying all day. "I have some good news- well, not good news- but certainly not bad news either… Well, it kind of is… Let me restart- I have some news."

"What do you mean?" Frostbite voiced curiously.

"Ok," Amber started turning her head to look up at the colossal moon. "But first, you need to make your anniversary wish. If there were ever an object that could make it come true, it would be one of the moons. Look how big that one is tonight. I wish it could be like this more often… Oops! You're the one supposed to do the wishing here, not me."

"Right!" Frostbite cheered excitedly. He closed his eyes and tilted his head toward the stars. He already knew what he wanted to wish for.

 _I wish… I wish I could be a SkyWing! That is what I want more than anything in the world! To not have to hide from the others, but to talk to them as a friend. I want to fly around on enormous wings, my bright orange scales glistening as I overlook everything._

 _Diamond Spray Town, the Sky Palace, the whole Sky Kingdom- all places I could come and go whenever I want without fear of being captured. That's what I want more than anything else. I wish to be a SkyWing, and finally fit in…_

He opened his eyes and quickly glanced down at his talons as though they might have magically changed. Much to Frostbite's disappointment, they were still a whitish blue. Amber noticed his grim expression.

"Don't worry Frostbite, I'm sure your wish will come true in due time."

"How long will that be?" Frostbite sighed, bringing his head down. "This has been my wish since I started wishing. Well, that and… something else. You can tell me the news now, Mother." Amber frowned.

"Well, I'm sure you remember Nimbus, my husband, your father."

"Yeah, I remember him," Frostbite replied, shuddering as he pictured the war-headed SkyWing in his mind. "I don't think he likes me very much…"

"Nonsense," Amber stated firmly. "He loves you just as much as Topaz- who he very much adores, by the war. Anyway, his back leg was broken in the war, so the general is sending him back to us until it heals. Very nice of the general, by the way. They could've decided to keep him there until he healed, but they probably decided he'd heal faster around his family. Quite a shame for him though, he's been working so hard to climb back up the ranks to his previous status since we moved here and he was… shunned. I'm glad that we'll get to see him again, though, he will be rather disappointed that his ranking has been diminished, once again. He should be thankful that he's only suffering a fate that is a lot better than death or imprisonment."

She looked toward the moons, then turned her back to Frostbite. "I haven't seen since days after Topaz hatched. He should be here before the sun rises. Isn't that exciting?"

The young IceWing nudged his way under Amber's wing and toned out the cheerfulness in her voice. Everything went quiet as he thought.

 _Nimbus is coming back, and I doubt he'll be happy to see me._


	4. Chapter 3

**\- Chapter 3 -**

The SkyWing whose scales reflected the color of dragon blood loomed over the other dragons sleeping in the darkened cave. His colossal figure made them appear puny and malnourished.

He stood tall, holding his head high, trying to look dignified- which was difficult for him to accomplish considering the room's roof was closer to the ground than he was.

Upon one of his back legs, he wore a large stick secured to his injury with wraps of white bandages to be used as support. Scars dotted his body like leaves upon the ground in fall.

A long scratch on his shoulder ran down his arm, a small burn nearly blackened a spot on his neck, and his large tail had been bent the wrong way near the tip… the list goes on.

Frostbite found himself waking from a pleasant dream, something about being in shoulder-deep in snow when he met Nimbus' stern stare. The startled IceWing froze and returned his glance, captivated by his golden gaze.

His eyes, which were his most distinguishable features in the dark room, had been slowly narrowing to slits, perhaps studying Frostbite, perhaps piercing through him.

Moonlight peered into the dwelling, illuminating the giant SkyWing's sturdy back, curved neck, and long, black horns with a white sheen.

Frostbite shifted back into his bed uncomfortably, careful not to break eye contact with him. He could feel his heart thundering in his chest. He hadn't seen his SkyWing father in at least three years. All he knew was that bitter resentment radiated off the intimidating dragon like light from the sun. Frostbite could see it on the way his face occasionally twitched.

The mortified IceWing continued to wait, trying to make his presence so small that Nimbus would no longer notice him. He desperately hoped that the red dragon would say something or move on. Anything would be better than continuing to stare into his unblinking eyes.

Frostbite noticed that he wore no jewelry apart from a small, silver ring, placed halfway down one of his horns.

After a few very uncomfortable moments, the silence was broken.

Amber, who had just woken as well, yawned quietly as she flexed her talons before swiveling her neck around and seeing the SkyWing she had married years before standing by the table, towering over Frostbite. The pale moonlight shone just bright enough for her to see the two dragons on the other side of the cave.

Both of their heads turned to face her. The smaller dragon shot her a frightful look, but she didn't seem to notice.

All she could do was observe the greater SkyWing with a look of absolute awe.

"Nimbus, I've missed you so much. Not a single day has gone by without me thinking of how much better it could be with you at my side," she spoke tenderly. "You are my sun, my moons, my entire world. Nothing makes me happier than seeing you here now, alive and breathing." She smiled at him sweetly, a look of age-old desire printed on her face.

"I see the IceWing is still here," he replied in a gruff, dignified voice. It was as if he had completely ignored Amber's loving words.

Frostbite tried to sink lower into his bed.

Amber shifted her head back, hurt by his lack of compassion.

"Well, of course he is," she stated defensively, narrowing her eyes. "He's our son, and you better be nice to him. Yesterday was his anniversary."

She crawled onto the floor and walked over to Nimbus as she spoke. Moving carefully to avoid his bent edge, she tried to entwine her tail with his, but he seemed uninterested- unresponsive to the kind gesture as he turned his attention back to look down at the frightened IceWing.

"Anniversary?" he growled, his eyes becoming menacing. "Anniversary of what? Oh, I get it."

Frostbite wished he could disappear, or even disappear like a RainWing shifting colors- anything to avoid the crimson SkyWing's deathly gaze.

"Nimbus," she warned, slightly raising her voice.

He ignored her again and hissed. "Six years ago to this date, you let him drag you and I down to this trivial town!"

His words caused Topaz to wake. She lifted her head and stared at him with widening eyes.

Amber sighed, the aggression in her voice vanquished.

"None of that is his fault- you know that. You're just tired and cranky. Get some rest, we can talk in the morning."

The vexed SkyWing only scoffed as he finally broke his frigid glance, and started limping toward the far corner of the cave. He entered the forbidden room, which had remained uninhabited for years.

Once he was out of sight, Amber wrapped a warm wing around Frostbite.

"Don't worry," she spoke calmingly to the shaking IceWing as she stood by his bed. "Nimbus won't hurt you- not as long as he knows that you are important to me. I'm sorry he's making himself seem awful." She lowered her head closer to his. "After a good rest, he'll have an easier time controlling his temper. You know, he does care about you, too, he just doesn't want to admit it."

Frostbite did not believe a word of it.

* * *

"No, Nimbus," Amber stated firmly. It seemed as though they had been arguing for hours- Nimbus making some drastic decision and Amber trying desperately to persuade him otherwise.

Frostbite and Topaz were huddled under the black, gray, and brown furs on top of his bed.

Whenever Topaz was feeling uneasy, she would usually take comfort in standing at Amber's side. If the caring SkyWing wasn't around, she could always count on Frostbite, even if it meant subjecting herself to his freezing scales.

The voices carried on from Nimbus' room.

"I request that you take me to the guard camp, and you're going to take me there, or I will find it myself," the deep voice boomed. "I'm not going to recover by just sitting around. Now, step out of my way!"

"I don't remember Father being this _angry_ ," Topaz whispered. "He was a lot nicer when I was a hatchling… Ok, that's not _completely_ true, but he didn't use to be this mean to Mother." Frostbite nodded slowly.

"He's treating her like a nuisance rather than a living dragon. Also, he clearly doesn't like me, I'm not absolutely sure why… No, that's a lie. It's because he has me, an IceWing, living in his home. Yeah, that's probably why," he sighed.

The arguing continued.

"First of all," Amber shouted, "don't talk to me like I'm some sort of servant! Secondly, I am _NOT_ letting you go battle training with a broken leg! You're only going to hurt yourself more!"

"The only thing that could hurt me more," Nimbus snapped, "is not being in top shape when I am permitted back on the battlegrounds! Now, get out of my way!" The smell of smoke quickly filled the room.

"Come on, Nimbus," she muttered softly. "Can't you just forget about the war? It's going to end before you can fully heal anyway, or, so says the prophecy."

"The prophecy isn't real," Nimbus shot back. "It's obviously just a hoax. Surely you don't believe the war I've been fighting for years could be ended by a group of dragonets in a single night. Now, get out of my way!" He stomped his back leg upon the ground, causing the whole cave to shake.

"Can't you just spend some time with your family?" Amber sighed. "You haven't even said hello to your daughter. Actually, you haven't said hello to any of us. Don't you care about your dragonets?" She started raising her voice again. "Don't you care about _me_?"

His only reply was a loud grunt. Amber sighed in defeat, presumably stepping aside as Nimbus marched out of his room.

Peering out from under the sheets, Frostbite could see the agitated Skywing move around the table. As Nimbus came closer, Frostbite retreated under the pile of furs. He walked passed the bed without paying them any mind. They could hear a loud flap as he took off with his gigantic wings, heading for the guard camp.

Amber's head poked out of the room, an expression of remorse clear on her face. She saw the lump of furs on Frostbite's bed and sighed with a sort of distaste.

"I'm sorry that fighting is the first thing Nimbus I and have done since he returned. You must think he's so terrible, but he wasn't like this before he went off to war for the first time seven years ago," she explained as she made her way beside the table.

Frostbite uncovered his head, his spikes lying flat on his neck.

"Is it my fault he seems so angry? I know that he doesn't like me because I'm an IceWing, but did I ever do something to him? When it was still dark, he said that I was the reason we live in Diamond Spray Town. I like it here, but he made it sound like that was a bad thing."

"Of course not, Frostbite," Amber assured sweetly, stroking the back of his neck with her talons. "But I'd prefer not to discuss that further."

Topaz popped her head out of the covers, her eyes staring at the orange SkyWing.

"Why is he being so mean then? We _never_ did anything to him," she stated with disgust.

"It's probably something I did years ago," Amber muttered gloomily.

"You?" Frostbite asked, surprised by her statement. The spikes on his head stood up, pushing away Amber's claw. "No, you're just saying that to make me feel better."

"Nevermind that, Frostbite," she sighed and tried to change the subject. "Surprisingly, Canary didn't put me on guard duty today. She probably heard that Nimbus was coming back and decided to let me have some time with him. Well, clearly that didn't work out- Canary will see when he appears at camp, but it was still a nice gesture regardless. Hmm, I never thought I'd put the words 'Canary' and 'nice' in the same sentence." She and Topaz smirked. "Well, anyway, that's beside the point. Since I have some free time and it's such a beautiful day, what do you two want to do?"

Topaz responded instantly. "Let's go to the river and hunt for _DIAMONDS_!" she shouted cheerfully, jumping up and down on the bed.

"Well, it was Frostbite's anniversary so I think he should decide," Amber concluded.

Topaz stared up at him with widening eyes.

"Sure, I don't see why not."

* * *

"Ooh! Ooh! I think I _found_ one! Wait, it's just a white rock." She tossed it back into the river with a small _sploosh_.

Frostbite looked down through the crystal clear waters. The only colors he could see showing through were the light browns and grays of stones resting, submerged in the stream.

"I thought that diamonds _were_ white rocks, but shinier, you know? Anyway, I don't see anything," Frostbite announced.

"Keep looking," Topaz responded frustratedly. "What about you, Mother?"

The two dragonets turned their heads. Amber was lying on her side, closer to the forest and trees than the stream. Her eyes were closed. She didn't respond.

"She must be daydreaming," Frostbite assumed, staring at the plain, gray fish that swam upstream within his view. Their scales glinted in the sunlight as their tails pushed back and forth. If he hadn't known better, he might have mistaken their flashing bodies for precious gems, which he was sure Topaz was going to once they reached her.

" _Mother_!" Topaz whined. "You're _supposed_ to be looking for gemstones!" She ran over to her angrily and tried to rustle the dozing SkyWing awake. Frostbite watched them as Topaz complained loudly in her ear, and Amber lifted her head up, looking dazed.

Suddenly, he heard a voice coming from the trees behind him.

"Hey, you," the voice hissed coldly. Frostbite redirected his gaze to the woods behind and saw a light blue head peeking out of the overgrowth. It had long spikes with beady black eyes and seemed to have an annoyed expression. "What do you think you're doing out here with the SkyWings? This is sky territory!"

"Well, I, uh," Frostbite started, but the irritated dragon reached out and grabbed his snout with both claws, then dragged him into the shrubs.

Leafs smacked his face as Frostbit stumbled over into the cover of the trees. The other IceWing signaled for him to be quiet. Frostbite noticed a silver chain worn loosely around his neck with two silver rings dangling from it, and a leather bag secured to his front leg with several tears in it.

The other dragon was twice as tall as Frostbite, but only slightly larger than Amber and only appearing slightly older than her, too. A scar stretched over his face and mouth, but he had way fewer markings than Nimbus.

"Not so loud, moron," he hissed again quietly. "Those SkyWings over there will hear us. I don't know who you are, or what you're doing here, but we need to take those SkyWings _out_. If you're feeling sneaky, we can get the jump on them and kill them before things get ugly. By the moons, you're tiny. Ok, I'll get the big one, and you get the small one." Frostbite could feel the suspicious IceWing's cold breath on his face.

 _Is this what other dragons feel when I talk to them?_

"Uh, no thanks," Frostbite whispered back, unsure of what he should say. "And I'd appreciate it if you don't attack them, either. They're my family."

"Family?" the larger IceWing snarled at him.

"Um, I mean _not_ my family, but we probably shouldn't kill them anyway. They're not hurting anybody." The other IceWing gave him a puzzled look. "Hey, where did you get that necklace? It looks interesting," Frostbite noted hurriedly, trying to cover up his previous statement.

The newcomer looked at Frostbite's neck and growled.

"If you were a _real_ IceWing, you'd have one too, and you'd know that it means I am in the second circle- second to best." He paused. "But you're not a _real_ IceWing, are you? Otherwise, you'd know that SkyWings are terrible dragons that _need_ to be killed."

"Clearly, I'm an IceWing. You can see that, right?"

"You are nothing!" he roared, causing Frostbite to step back. "Nothing but a traitor!"

The smaller dragon quickly turned and lunged out of the overgrowth toward the river. He hit the ground with a small plume of dust and rolled over onto his back. Frostbite tried to get back on his claws and lifted his head just in time to see the larger IceWing dive out of the bushes. He could feel the other dragon's body collide with his and pin him to the ground instantly.

He shot one claw toward Frostbite's throat and gripped it tightly, his sharp talons causing the smaller dragon's neck to bleed slightly. He quickly raised his other claw, as if he was about to strike.

Frostbite could hear Amber and Topaz shriek from a distance, but they were too far away to do anything. He struggled and started gasping for air, but he could not free himself from the throat-clenching grasp.

Frostbite looked up at the other dragon's face and was greeted with a look of pure malice, as he kept squeezing tighter and tighter. The young IceWing started coughing and gagging. He felt as if he was drowning on land.

Eventually, Frostbite just stopped. He felt weak, the air had gone entirely from his lungs, and he realized that it was pointless to continue squirming. His heart kept thundering in his chest as he closed his eyes and braced himself for impending death, either from suffocation or a slash that was about to make its way onto his neck.

All of a sudden, Frostbite couldn't hear anything. The sounds he heard before- the screaming of his family, the roaring of the river, his own choking, were replaced by a peaceful bliss as he felt the weight of the other dragon lifted off of him.

 _Oh, I must be dead_ _,_ Frostbite realized grimly. _Hmm, dying wasn't nearly as painful as I thought it was. I guess I should look around._

And so he did. Slowly lifting his eyelids, he saw nothing but the clear blue sky above from where he was still laying on his back. The other dragon was no longer on top of him, but a hazy black outline surrounded his vision, pulsing larger, then shrinking again repeatedly.

Slowly, he started refiling his lungs with air, breathing very lightly.

He looked to his right, his neck aching as he turned his head.

 _Nothing but the ground and the river that way_ _,_ he thought to himself.

He then turned his head left. There, he saw Nimbus, standing over something, his back turned to Frostbite, wielding a mighty spear over his head. He thrust it downward.

 _Nimbus saved me,_ Frostbite realized with astonishment. _Now I know I'm dead._

Then the darkness consumed his vision entirely, and he blacked out.


	5. Chapter 4

**\- Chapter 4 -**

 _Frostbite found himself standing still in a field of tall, white grass. A feeling of tranquility washed over him thoroughly._

 _He turned his head and looked around. There was no sky, no sun, no nothing. Other than the white grass, there was just a clear horizon, stretching on for as far as the eye could see. Though, there was also a small hill which, too, was covered in the stalky plant._

 _Atop the silver mound, Frostbite spied a whitish-blue figure resting. He found nothing else to do, so he decided to run over to it, the tall grass grazing his legs as he moved._

 _Once he got closer, he could see that strange figure was, in fact, an IceWing- an IceWing who looked a lot like him, but much older as well._

 _He could hear her muttering something, sounding almost angry, but it was impossible to distinguish precisely what she might be saying until he got even closer. Frostbite climbed up the hill to examine the bizarre dragon further._

 _Her eyes were closed, and she looked as if her neck was broken, snapped, even, but she was still breathing, still talking to herself. There were black lines striped across her silver scales as if she had been badly burned. Suddenly, her muttering became more distinct._

 _"How do you know that we don't need to take him to a doctor?" she asked furiously. The voice seemed familiar to Frostbite._

 _Unexpectedly, the tone grew deeper and more commanding._

 _"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realize you knew a SkyWing doctor who'd be willing to treat IceWings! I've served as a field medic before! When I say he will be fine, I mean he will be fine! He's still breathing, look, he's waking up."_

 _She appeared to be having an argument with herself. An argument? Of course…_

Frostbite groaned quietly as he slowly opened his eyes. The first things he saw were the heads of his SkyWing parents staring down at him. Amber looked very anxious, but Nimbus seemed to be without expression.

"See?" the great SkyWing boasted, turning his head and flicking his tail as he walked out of Frostbite's view. "I told you he'd be fine."

"Oh, moons, Frostbite, how are you feeling?" Amber asked sympathetically, gently stroking her talons over his spikes.

" _Ugg_ ," Frostbite moaned again. He felt as though the whole world was spinning around him. "Lightheaded."

Everything that was more than a couple of feet away from him appeared very blurry and out of focus. He couldn't determine exactly where he was, but it was rather bright.

All he could feel was Amber's delicate arm providing comfort. Frostbite laid his head down sideways and closed his eyes. He held his talons to his face.

"What happened? Where am I?" His memory of the incident was scattered, but he could feel it slowly reforming, piece by piece.

 _Uh… I was by the river…_

"You fainted, darling. Now you're back at home on your bed," the warn SkyWing replied, then waited as bewildered IceWing tried to recollect his thoughts.

 _Um, and we were looking for diamonds…_

"I'd like to point out that there is a _bit_ of a difference between fainting, and being strangled," Nimbus snorted from across the room.

Amber scowled at him, then gave Frostbite a sympathetic look.

"Sorry to pester you with questions so soon, but did you know who that other IceWing was?" she asked the young dragon slowly.

He closed his eyes and started thinking harder. _IceWing? Erm, yes, there was one… wasn't there?_

Without waiting for Frostbite's response, Nimbus answered for him.

"Of course, he did not. That IceWing was a spy, or, at least, that's my understanding of the scrolls in his bag. His necklace indicated he was from the second circle and would have wanted nothing to do with a _low-life_ like Frostbite." He paused for a moment. Frostbite realized that was the first time his SkyWing father referred to him by name.

 _Huh, maybe he really is starting to care about me, even if he just called me a low-life. And that other IceWing… yes, he did have a strange necklace and pouch… didn't he?_

"Unless," Nimbus started again, "he is a spy as well, possibly working with the other!"

 _Oh, guess he still hates me._

"Why, I dare say-"

"Oh, for the love of… Give him a break, Nimbus," Amber firmly interrupted. "He nearly suffocated less than an hour ago."

All of a sudden, Frostbite's memory shot back to him like a terrified rabbit darting into the cover of a nearby bush.

"Nimbus!" he exclaimed, causing Amber to jump as he raised his head to look at massive SkyWing. "You… you saved me."

The larger SkyWing seemed taken aback for a second, then scowled.

" _Hmph_. Well, if you were any larger, I would've tackled you too."

Frostbite realized just how lucky he was that Nimbus was nearby to protect him from the other IceWing. It seemed to work out perfectly.

 _Too perfectly…_

"If you don't mind me asking," Frostbite started, stretching his wings, "how did you manage to be there at the exact moment I was attacked? I don't mean to make accusations, but were you… following us?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Nimbus snapped, dismissing the outrageous accusation with a flick of his tail. "I simply volunteered to make guard rounds for Canary since she was short one soldier." He glared at Amber. "And I just _happened_ to see your pathetic display and decided to take pity on you- something I would _not_ have done if it were a SkyWing about to end your miserable existence. I only protected you because putting you out of your misery would have been the merciful thing to do."

"Oh," Frostbite muttered, displeased by Nimbus' conjecture. "Well, thank you for saving my 'miserable' life."

"No," Amber stated, pressing her talons on Frostbite's forehead while giving the larger SkyWing a cold stare. "He saved you because you're his son, and he _loves_ you."

Nimbus grunted, shifting his head back uncomfortably and moving his eyes as far away from Amber as he could without swiveling his neck.

"Anyway," he stated, pretending to ignore what his wife had said, "I told one of the guards to report the incident back to Canary. She should be here shortly to discuss the matter further."

"Wait," Amber realized suddenly, her pupils shrinking in disbelief as she drew her talons away from Frostbite. "You told a _SkyWing Captain_ that our _IceWing_ son was attacked?"

"Of course not," the crimson dragon snapped. "I merely told Cinnabar to relay to Canary that an IceWing was spotted and neutralized, and that she'd have to come _here_ to receive additional information on account of your _medical incompetence_."

"Oh, you saw Cinnabar? I haven't seen that old fellow in a while. How's he doing?" Amber wondered aloud. "Arg, but that's beside the point. Don't let Canary come inside or else she'll see Fros-"

" _Hellooo_!" a cheerful voice called. The tone belonged to none other than the infamous Captain Canary, brushing aside the cowskin cover and marching inside.

Frostbite tried to duck as low as he could and bury his face into his fur blankets.

Amber's eyes widened as her superior waltzed right in.

"Captain Canary!" she objected, quickly stepping in front of Frostbite and spreading her wings. "You can't just barge in here!"

"Oh, but of course I can," the captain declared in a voice a little less harsh than Frostbite would've thought Canary to have. "I am your captain, but I do admit, that was quite rude. Forgive me, I'm certain you understand that I cannot be seen in a settlement such as this."

She held her head high in a dignified manner. Frostbite could see from around Amber's wings that her scales reflected a breathtaking golden-orange color that was very gentle on the eyes, though she clearly outshone both other SkyWings in the room, making them appear very drab. She had a long tail and horns as well, however, her form seemed much smaller than Frostbite pictured her originally. She looked nearly the same size as Amber, maybe even smaller.

He wondered how she became a captain in the first place- he didn't feel intimidated by her presence at all. Frostbite always imagined her to look like… well, Nimbus, but female.

"So, how are you all doing today? Amber, Commander Nimbus, sir," she asked politely. "Although, I may not need to refer to you as a higher ranking official since your… incident." She nodded toward his broken leg.

Nimbus only growled in response to the statement as Canary turned to the clementine SkyWing, who was now backing up closer to Frostbite. He and Amber both knew how painstakingly obvious it was that she was trying to conceal his presence.

"Amber," Canary said impatiently, "I see you are trying to hide something from me. Would you kindly let me see it?"

Frostbite held his breath.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied hurriedly. "Besides, don't we have other matters to discuss? Like the IceWing by the river?"

" _Amber_ ," Canary repeated, her voice deepening and turning somewhat sharp.

The orange SkyWing's wings drooped to the floor in defeat as she stepped aside, revealing Frostbite completely.

Frostbite's heart sank as he spied Amber, eyeing him apologetically for not standing up to the SkyWing captain, even if it meant keeping him safe.

 _She's going to feel guilty about that forever. I need to let her know that I forgive her… If I get out of this alive._

For a moment, Canary's orange sunset eyes met Frostbite's shiny black ones as he stared up at her. She was absolutely stunning. Although he would never admit this, he thought that she was even more beautiful than Amber. She looked younger than her as well.

He noticed that she didn't carry a spear or any weapon at all. It seemed as though the only items she possessed were a leather pouch tied neatly around her chest and two spherical gold and ruby earrings. The circular shape of the red gemstones made them appear almost like an extra set of eyes, watching in all directions.

"Ah," she stated, rather unalarmed by Frostbite's being. "You must be Frostbite. The pleasure is mine." She held out a claw, and Frostbite took it carefully. Canary didn't comment on how cold the young IceWing's talons must be.

"How do you know about Frostbite?" Amber demanded loudly, then covered her snout with her talons, embarrassed by her rudeness toward the captain.

As if she hadn't heard the disrespect in her tone, Canary simply replied, "Oh, please. Did you really think that my guards wouldn't inform me of this? It's no matter to me that he lives here, even if my comrades disagree, but _they_ certainly won't do anything about it."

Upon seeing Canary closer, Frostbite realized that very few scars were placed on her golden-orange body.

 _Maybe it's because she's so good at fighting, she never gets hit! Or maybe her only job as captain is to order others around… Then why does she seem so nice?_

"Captain Canary," Amber stated as if reading his mind, "why are you acting so kind today? You're usually so…" She paused, searching for the right word. "Commanding."

"I don't know what you're going off about," Canary replied profoundly, then quickly changed the subject as she released Frostbite's talons. "My, he seems awfully shy. He hasn't spoken a word since I got here."

The young IceWing remained silent- he did not want to address Canary incorrectly and infuriate her, but also because he had nothing to say other than, "Thank you for not reporting me to the queen."

"You don't have to be scared of me, little IceWing," she spoke to him slowly, "I'm sure Amber here has told you all about how _wonderful_ I am."

"Canary," Nimbus tried, clearly getting impatient.

"Ah, ah, Nimbus," she taunted, a small grin cracking on her face as she turned to him. "Address me by rank, _soldier_."

" _Captain_ Canary," he sighed, looking rather annoyed.

"Much better," she responded and poked him on the snout. He pretended to ignore it, but Frostbite could see rage building behind his golden eyes.

"We have business to attend to," Nimbus growled. "The IceWing spy, _remember_?"

"Oh, please," Canary responded, her voice returning cheerful. "All that's important is that you killed it, yes? With that said and done, I'd say there's nothing else to discuss of the matter."

"Hold on one second," Nimbus snapped, his voice rising as he stood over Canary. "So you're telling me that the only reason you came here was to order around my wife and talk down to me like I'm just another grunt you control?"

"Are you talking back to me, _soldier_?" Canary shot back, unimpressed by his outburst. Nimbus backed down and bowed his head low, shame quickly spreading over his face.

"Alright," the SkyWing captain sighed, lifting Nimbus' head back up with both claws. "You got me. The real reason I came was to see you." The large SkyWing shot her a puzzled expression. "I just thought you could use some more company with this hard time you're going through. Isn't this the second time your ranking has been diminished? That must be tough- seeing everything you've worked for crumble into tiny pieces. Twice, even."

"You know," Nimbus grumbled slowly, "this is the second time an _IceWing_ has taken my status. It was an IceWing who broke my leg. That sinister look in its jet black eyes as it stole all my self-worth…" He fixed his gaze on Frostbite's eyes and began to snarl.

 _Why is he glaring at me? He doesn't think that I broke his leg, does he?_

Amber immediately jumped to Frostbite's defense. "You _know_ ," she interrupted, stepping between Nimbus and Frostbite, "neither of those times was Frostbite's fault."

"You're in denial," Nimbus snapped back, once again standing at full height. "You knew that if you took him in, we couldn't live in the Sky Palace anymore, and yet, you took him anyway, even if it meant my status and our home."

"You used to live in the Sky Palace?" Frostbite questioned her. For a second, Amber turned her head around and looked at him, her face full of guilt.

"You and I used to be a highly respected family among the SkyWing ranks," the crimson SkyWing stated loudly. "We lived in the palace. The _palace_ , Amber. Don't you want that for us? Don't you want that for our daughter?"

"Not if it means she's going to end up entitled like you," Amber uttered quietly.

"You let Amber take you down to this waste of land?" Canary interrupted, a sinister smile creeping up her face. "How could you stand for such a thing?"

 _No! They're arguing over me again! Wait_ _,_ Frostbite realized, seeing the wicked look on the gold SkyWing's face. _Is she TRYING to get them to fight? Why would she do that? Argh, I can't think with all their shouting! I bet if I were a SkyWing, they wouldn't be fighting._

"Well, if I had a say," Nimbus hissed, standing as tall as his broken leg allowed, "I wouldn't have let it happen!"

"I would have done it with or _without_ you!" Amber shot back, smoke pouring out of her nostrils.

Frostbite felt as if he was about to choke, partially from the guilt for being the subject of yet another feud, partially from all the smoke that was quickly filling the room. He also drowned in the remorse of knowing that he was the reason Amber, Nimbus, and Topaz couldn't live in the Sky Palace. Amber never told him that she used to live there. He had always assumed that she lived in Diamond Spray Town before he was adopted.

"So you're saying that you'd pick the _IceWing_ over your own husband?" he demanded furiously.

"Frostbite was there for me when you weren't," Amber stated, her voice lightening up. "He was always so gentle, and he always did whatever I told him to do. He knew when I was sad, and would always stand by my side. He even helped me watch over Topaz whenever I was busy. He was so easy to raise, and has been nothing but kind to me for the six years he's been alive on Pyrrhia." She turned her head back to Frostbite and smiled. Then she looked back to Nimbus. "Yesterday, on his anniversary," she continued, a new light in her voice, "I gave him a scroll. A _scroll_. I don't even think he can read, but he still found something great about it. So is it really Frostbite who deserves the blame for something that happened before he could talk? Or is it me?"

Frostbite could feel his heart lighten up. It was incredible to hear all the wonderful things Amber thought of him, although he still felt awful that a marriage was about to be torn apart over him.

"I just don't understand how I ended up with someone so nonsensical in the first place," Nimbus sighed, staring back into Amber's eyes.

"I just don't understand how I ended up with someone so _cruel_! Someone who cares about the war more than they do their own family! Somebody who shunned their own son just because his scales are a little lighter!" Amber yelled repulsively, then gasped as if she regretted her last statement.

Whatever Canary was trying to do, it seemed to be working, or at least according to her malicious expression.

"No, Nimbus, I don't mean that," she tried, but he was not having it. Frostbite could see in his eyes that she had pushed him past the breaking point.

"I don't want to hear it, pathetic dragon," he growled lowly, then turned away from Amber. "You know what the war is like. I guess you think I have an unhealthy obsession with it. Maybe I do. Maybe someone as cruel and black-hearted as I doesn't belong with someone as inferior as you. But can you really blame me for disliking IceWings? I've been fighting the vile creatures for the better part of my life. The one who broke my leg could have finished me off. He had his sword pointed at my neck, and yet, he chose to spare me. He chose to let me suffer through losing everything again." Then he paused, as if he had expected Amber to hiss back at him. She didn't. "Hmph. I suppose I should go back to the army and try to recover there. It seems as though I've caused you nothing but grief." He turned back to her as if giving her one last glance.

She approached him, her eyes looking more sad than angry, no more smoke emitting from her. She gently laid her head down on his shoulder. Nimbus' eyes widened, clearly surprised by the gesture.

She closed her eyes and sighed, "No matter what you say, I will always love you. I understand how you worked so hard only for me to strip it all away from you. Your status, your home, your entire reputation, gone, all because of me. I'm sorry. You deserve better because you are so strong, so brave… so much more than I'll ever be." She started sobbing, her voice stuttering as she continued her speech. "And- and so truly wonderful."

 _Wonderful? How can she say that after all the mean things he said to her?_

Amber kept going, getting tears all over Nimbus' arm. "Even though I've done nothing but drag you down, you still chose to stand by me, because you see so much more in me than a pathetic coward. So much more than I really am. I see now that we are not two halves of a whole. You are whole, and I am nothing, nothing but a burden you've chosen to carry all these years. I'm sorry for shouting, I'm sorry for everything. But please, don't blame Frostbite for any of this, it was all my fault. And always remember that no matter what you say, I will always love you." She started sobbing harder, gripping the back of his neck with her claws.

"Amber, darling," he said very gently, wiping the tears from her eyes, "this is what makes you so special." He wrapped his wings around her. "While other dragons would just keep shouting back and forth- especially me, you display your emotions in ways better than anger, better than hatred." Frostbite noticed Canary's grin quickly fade into a scowl. She slowly backed out of the cave as Nimbus continued. "Truthfully, it is I who is lucky to have you. You can be all these things that I'd never even think could be in another dragon anywhere. I can't believe I was able to find someone like you, someone so pure-hearted in the face of everything." Amber's troubled frown became replaced with a smile of pure contentment as she wrapped her tail around his. "Always remember that this is what makes you so special. I, too, apologize for shouting at you. Honestly, you've been nothing but wonderful to me, and it was I who has been unfair to you."

She looked up at him, her eyes full of hope. "Can you say sorry to Frostbite as well? I'm sure if you spent some time with him, you'd see that him and I are a lot alike."

"How so?" the crimson dragon asked while stroking the back of her neck.

"Well," Amber stated, "I like to think that we're both usually very kind, and timid as well."

"Timid," Nimbus repeated, staring at Frostbite's small figure lying in bed. "I can see that."

"I'm sure that anyone would at least be a little scared if a big, red SkyWing were yelling at them," Amber concluded.

"You weren't," he noted sternly.

"Nevermind that. Now, can you please apologize to our son?" Amber pleaded.

"Fine," he grunted ruefully as he turned to Frostbite, having difficulty meeting his eyes. "I regret accusing you of my problems. I see now that none of this is your fault. Amber just wanted to help you, and you had no control over it."

"And?" the orange SkyWing pressured him.

"And nothing! Now come here, you." He hugged Amber tighter and poked his nose against hers.

" _Ahem_ ," Topaz coughed from the doorway. Sneaking in unnoticed seemed to be her specialty. "If you two kiss, I'm going to _throw up_!"

And so they did, and much to their dismay they, realized she wasn't joking.


	6. Chapter 5

**\- Chapter 5 -**

Waiting peacefully in the woods, Frostbite listened to the gentle rain. The light drizzle collected on the broad leaves above and hit the ground with a soothing, tapping sound. Refreshingly cool water slid down his scales and onto the grass with ease as he took a small breath. The sky appeared to be a light gray. Dark clouds covered the open air for as far as he could see.

Frostbite didn't mind the feeling of standing out in the rain and enjoyed the calming sensation of the liquid running on his back and dripping off his wings. He smelled what he believed to be the scent of tranquility. The rain suppressed the aroma of pine trees towering over him and the wildflowers that grew near his claws.

He stared down at the small plants, admiring the clash of red and yellow they had put up for display upon their small, round petals. While most blossoms he'd seen in the past carefully blended the colors they had chosen to brandish, making it impossible to distinguish where one shade ended and the other began, the flowers that rested before him proudly showed off their hues, caring not about a gradient design.

"So, do you want to go find something to eat, or do you just want to keep staring at the flowers," Nimbus teased him, then spread his wing over Frostbite, shielding him from the storm. The falling water still managed to seep through small holes torn in his membrane.

"You really should see how unique their colors are," Frostbite suggested, lowering his head closer to the tiny blossoms.

"That was a rhetorical question," the larger dragon clarified. "That is to say, I'm starving. If we're lucky, we might stumble into the shelter of a deer hiding from the rainfall. Now, I may be named after one of those gray clouds, but I'm not too keen about being rained on. Let's go catch something, and maybe Amber will let us back inside."

Amber had sent the pair of dragons into the forest to hunt together, hoping that a bond would form between them. Naturally, Nimbus had objected the idea, claiming that he could not possibly hunt on an injured leg, but she insisted, telling him that if he was well enough for battle training, he was well enough to hunt.

Of course, Amber told them to go before the rain had started- she couldn't have consciously sent them out into the cold. As the rain fell down, the kind-hearted SkyWing was probably regretting her decision right now.

Frostbite could see it clearly in his head. Amber would pace around the cave, claiming how awful it was of her to send them both out into the stormy weather. If he were there, he would have tried to comfort her, telling Amber that it wasn't her fault and that she didn't know it was going to rain. He shuddered, thinking of the terribly sarcastic response she was no doubt going to receive from Topaz.

"Poor Frostbite and Nimbus," the orange SkyWing would say, flicking her tail back and forth. "I sent them out in the pouring rain! When they return, they'll be soaking wet!"

"Yeah," Topaz would respond, a smug look engraved on her face. "How very cruel of you to do that to your own family. Maybe next time, they'll send _you_ into a snowstorm!"

 _Ok, maybe Topaz wouldn't be quite so brutal, but she won't have anything nice to say either._

"What are you? Daft?" Nimbus interrupted as he shoved Frostbite's shoulder with a claw, causing him to stumble forward and almost trample the wildflowers. "I said, 'let's go.'"

* * *

Frostbite had no idea where they were. The two had been foraging through the woods for nearly half the day, searching for any live prey to bring back home.

 _There could be guards patrolling out here, but Nimbus would protect me, right? What if he's willing to turn me in? No, Mother said that he'd keep me safe, and there's no way a dragon like him would fail a task on purpose._

The storm grew more magnificent as the clouds turned darker and the rain hurled down like small pebbles. The occasional crack of lightning, shot across the sky as thunder roared with the might of one thousand dragons. Powerful winds shook the branches of all nearby trees, causing them to sway rapidly.

Frostbite thought it looked as if the tops of the trees had been replaced by thousands of green snakes, squirming around and all hissing in unison to create the noise of leaves rustling.

Beneath a tall oak with a solid trunk, Frostbite and Nimbus took shelter. The sturdy tree's green leaves were distributed too far apart to provide adequate protection from the harsh rainfall.

The large SkyWing had wrapped himself around the trunk, trying to take up as many dry spots as possible. Frostbite stood beneath his wing, which Nimbus had spread out for him once more. He was easily concealed entirely by its massive length.

The young IceWing could tell that Nimbus was annoyed with the situation he was in. They had spent a vast amount of time in the forest and didn't have a single rabbit to show for it.

Frostbite suggested that they should just go home, but the stubborn SkyWing insisted that he wouldn't turn up empty-clawed. Clearly, he wasn't used to failing tasks. It seemed that they would be in the woods for a while.

"Nimbus?" Frostbite asked, staring up at the colossal SkyWing's head.

"What is it?" he responded without looking down.

"Do you really… hate me?" He could feel his claws sinking into the mud as he stared down at them. "I'm sorry that I'm the reason you can't live in the palace anymore."

Nimbus waited a moment before responding, his face unreadable.

"No," he sighed as he lowered his head to look at Frostbite. There wasn't any hint of hostility in his golden eyes. "Don't be sorry. That wasn't your fault. And I suppose I don't hate you either. I was being unfair, I treated you as if you were the IceWing tribe as a whole instead of an individual dragon. You probably have no idea how IceWings are supposed to act."

"Oh," Frostbite noted, surprised by Nimbus' expression. "Well, thank you for being honest with me."

For a while, the two remained quiet. Nimbus looked to the sky, checking to see if the storm would end soon.

Lightning struck the ground no more than fifty feet away from them, creating a loud _bang_ as the golden sparks scattered across the land, then fizzled out. The sound caused Frostbite to jump, but the larger dragon appeared unshaken.

He landed quietly, his scales brushing against the red SkyWing's underbelly. The cold coming off of him caused Nimbus to shiver, but Frostbite found that he quite enjoyed the warmth of the other dragon, and decided to lay down closer to it.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Nimbus objected, but the heat radiating off of him was so comfortable in the frigid rainfall that Frostbite decided to close his eyes. "Stop that!" the large SkyWing barked.

He stood up and gently smacked the puny IceWing with his tail, causing Frostbite to roll onto his back in the mud. "I'm already freezing my scales off out here without you making this even more uncomfortable!"

"I'm sorry," Frostbite pleaded as he crawled back onto his legs. His wings were covered in mud, but the rainfall was quickly washing it away. He darted back to what little shelter awaited him beneath the tree. "It's just that it's so cold, and you're so warm, and I'm so tired," he stated, yawning to prove his point.

" _You're_ cold? What about me? Aren't IceWings supposed to _like_ freezing temperatures?" the crimson SkyWing countered as he laid down again.

"I don't think anybody would like standing out in this storm," the young IceWing objected.

"That's…" Nimbus started, then paused. "That's a fair point."

"So… does that mean I can lay down next to you?" Frostbite asked hopefully as he smiled slyly. Thunder crackled again in the distance.

Nimbus stared at him. The tiny IceWing shivered, trying to make himself seem more disconsolate.

"Fine," he eventually decided. "But if I freeze to death out here, it's your fault."

Without waiting another second, Frostbite leaped to his side and tried to stay as close as possible to the gentle warmth without touching it. "Thank you, Nimbus," he stated innocently.

The red SkyWing only grunted in response.

For a while, Frostbite laid on the dirt, listening to the rain grow somehow even harsher. The ground was very uncomfortable, but heat more than made up for it.

Although Frostbite an IceWing, he wasn't used to going outside in the hard wind and even harder rainfall. He'd grown accustomed to having a warm, safe place to go whenever the weather turned dreadful.

Frostbite was sure that Amber was becoming distraught by now. Troubled thoughts of how miserable she must be clouded in his head until he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. He was not going to have a pleasant dream.

* * *

 _Frostbite found himself resting beneath the tree he had fallen asleep under; however, his view was that of a bystander. The onslaught of rain continued as he spied Nimbus, fast asleep._

 _The rest of the world was entirely black, like an endless void. Only the firm oak and a small patch of grass around it stood out in the darkness._

 _Frostbite could see himself, too, laying next to the giant SkyWing. His body started wriggling and grew an uneasy expression._

 _Nimbus noticed the struggle and stood up. His eyes were still closed, and his face was without expression. He stood straight, taller than Frostbite thought a dragon with a broken leg could._

 _Suddenly, he opened his eyes. Both of them had been replaced entirely with an emerald green glow. The SkyWing with no emotion turned his head down toward Frostbite's body. With speed greater than a striking snake, he thrust his claw downward. He pinned the body's neck to the ground, causing it to squirm more violently._

 _Although appearing to still be asleep, the body started shaking faster. The tail flailed around as if it were an animal of prey trying to escape the talons of a bird._

 _Frostbite could see it now. He was the mouse, and Nimbus was the hawk._

 _Thunder roared in the background as a malicious look spread over the deadly SkyWing's face. He raised his other talons, and the green glow in his eyes grew brighter._

 _"NO! STOP IT!" Frostbite tried to shriek, but no sound came through his teeth._

 _Lightning struck as Nimbus shot his other claw downward, his sharp talons slicing through the neck of Frostbite's body with ease. A few drops of blue blood shot from the gash and onto the oak's trunk, staining the wood of the tree._

 _Frostbite watched in horror as the crimson SkyWing released the body from his grasp, getting blood all over his talons. Finally, it stopped moving._

 _Nimbus redirected his emerald gaze to where Frostbite's presence was spectating. The panicked IceWing stared back into the green light until Nimbus turned and took off into the opposite direction. He flew deeper into the night._

* * *

Screaming at the top of his lungs, Frostbite awoke. Instantly, he reached a claw toward his neck. Much to his relief, he sensed no wound.

He stood up and looked around. The mighty oak still stood high overhead, and the rain had stopped, but it was still dark. The sky was a very grim shade of purple with a small amount of orange peering over the horizon. Frostbite determined that it was very early in the morning. Small amounts of sunlight reflected off the dew in the wet grass.

Although he was alive and well, Frostbite sensed that something was off. He could not quite place his claw on it, so he decided to ask Nimbus.

 _Nimbus._

Rapidly, the young IceWing turned to face the tree. Sure enough, his SkyWing father wasn't lying where he'd previously been.

 _Nimbus left me out alone in the woods! I don't know where this is! I'm lost! I'll never see Mother again!_

The panicked thoughts circled around in his head until he started panting. Frostbit breathed faster and faster, harder and harder, until he felt as if he were about to pass out.

"Moons above! You look like you just saw a ghost," Nimbus noted as he stepped out of a thicket of nearby trees. In his claws, he held a shiny, red and yellow apple.

"Nimbus!" Frostbite shouted with relief, then started running over to him. Nearly halfway between the oak and the red SkyWing, Frostbite remembered his mortifying nightmare and darted back to hide behind the tree. He screamed again.

"What in Pyrrhia has gotten into you?" the giant SkyWing demanded as he slowly walked over to the tree.

"Sorry," Frostbite uttered as he revealed himself from around the thick trunk. "I just had a nightmare, and you were there, and you had green eyes, and you-"

"Must have been _some_ dream if it caused you to act like the world was ending," Nimbus interrupted.

Frostbite wasn't used to such treatment after having bad dreams. Usually, he would lay beside Amber as she tried her best to comfort him.

 _Amber._

"We've been gone all night!" Frostbite realized with horror. "Mother will be worried sick about us! She'll think we're _dead_!"

"Good," the crimson SkyWing remarked, not at all phased. "Let her think that. That'll just make it all the better when we return successfully." He stared down at the reflective fruit in his talons. "I had to eat an apple. An _apple_. But, you do what you have to do to survive. I grabbed one for you too. I suppose I can't allow you to starve." He tossed the apple to him. Standing on his back legs, Frostbite managed to catch it as it flew through the air.

He grasped the apple in his talons and stared at it. The fruit was so small that it fit within just one of his claws. A simple pattern of yellow appeared at the bottom, fading to red at the top, and it had a smooth, hard surface. There were a few drops of water on top of it, left over from the rain.

Frostbite's stomach was roaring. He hadn't eaten anything in nearly a day.

Placing the apple in his mouth, the ravenous IceWing bit down. Frostbite found the sweetness of the red and yellow fruit to be enjoyable. He kept chewing, and soon enough, it was gone.

"Can't we just bring back some apples for Amber and Topaz?" Frostbite begged. He had never been separated from Amber for quite so long, and was starting to miss her terribly. "Apples are food, too, and all she said was to go out until we caught something to eat."

"Don't be ridiculous," Nimbus stated firmly as he turned his back to the disappointed IceWing. "We're not going back until we have more than just a couple of fruits to show for our quest."

"But… but I want to go home!" Frostbite whined.

Nimbus turned his head and gave him a cold.

"I miss Mother!"

"Stop complaining," the crimson SkyWing ordered sharply, no traces of empathy in his voice. "You sound like a hatchling. If you want to see Amber so bad, then come on, let's go find some prey."

* * *

"So," Frostbite started as he trailed close behind Nimbus, watching his bent tail swing back and forth with each step, "I've been thinking."

"Which is something IceWings don't often do, I presume," the giant SkyWing interrupted as he limped onward. Frostbite was starting to see where Topaz got her sense of humor.

He pretended to ignore the snide remark and continued. "If you didn't like me before, then why did you agree to let Mother take me in?"

Nimbus stopped marching and stared at the narrow path that led between the trees. Frostbite was so close behind him that he accidentally stepped on the tip red SkyWing's tail, nearly forcing it to bend in the wrong direction. Nimbus moved his head around to stare at the small IceWing, who gave him an apologetic look.

"It was just a few days before I would go off to war for more than a few weeks at a time," he stated coldly. "I hadn't told Amber that I would soon be gone for over a year. When I let her know, I knew she would be distraught. I suppose I let her keep you as a way to cope with me leaving." He tilted his head downward, unable to meet Frostbite's jet-black eyes. "She liked you, and it's just that, back then, she was so incapable. She couldn't keep a secret, so I was certain that someone would come take you away before I came back the first time. I knew they wouldn't try anything to hurt her if they knew I had something to say about it."

He looked at Frostbite, his golden eyes full of wonder. "But you- you really changed her. She stood up to _me_ to protect you. She never used to fight back before you came along. When I came back the first time, you were just two years old. I could see how attached Amber had become to you, but I was still convinced you would soon be discovered, so we had Topaz in case she did end up losing you." He placed his claw on the curious IceWing's shoulder. "But now, you're still here, and I have to admit, I'm very impressed with how responsible your mother has become, even if Canary still found out about you. Though, Canary was just trying to be a responsible captain. I suppose I should thank you for being so easy to raise that even Amber could do it by herself."

Frostbite stood shocked, dumbfounded by Nimbus' display of emotion. The larger dragon smiled at him. He honestly felt as if his SkyWing father was finally starting to open up to him.

Nimbus turned around and kept walking deeper into the trees.

"Nimbus?" Frostbite asked.

"What?"

"Do you know where we are?"

"Other than somewhere in the woods, no."

Frostbite paused for a second.

"Nimbus?"

The red SkyWing grunted.

"How did you bend your tail?"

"Doesn't matter."

He paused again.

"Nimbus?"

He didn't respond.

"Nimbus?"

"Three moons! What do you want?" the irritable SkyWing demanded as he turned to face Frostbite once more. "Let me guess- you want to go home? You want to see your mother? You want to know what happened to your real parents? You want to know why they left you alone in these woods?"

"You- you know what happened to my parents?" Frostbite asked with astonishment, his shiny eyes full of wonder.

"Well… no," Nimbus stated firmly. Amber never told him that Frostbite's mother attacked her years ago. He would have never let her keep him if he knew. "But I do know why they left you here. It's because they thought you were good for nothing. It's because you're a runt. Why they left you in the Sky Kingdom specifically, I don't know."

"What?" Frostbite shouted, hurt by the idea. "I'm sure my parents didn't leave me on purpose! Parents don't abandon their dragonets just because they're small… do they?"

"Unfortunately, that's the way things work in this world. I should know, my parents did the same thing to my sister."

"You had a sister?"

Nimbus sighed, his eyes filling with sadness. "Yes. Her name was supposed to be Gale, but she was very small upon hatching, so my parents renamed her Breeze." A look of disgust spread over his face. "She was three years younger than I was. As I'm sure you can imagine, I was my parents' favorite on account of me being so big. They had very high standards, and when she failed to meet their expectations, they made me fly her into the woods to leave her there. She was less than one year old, never even given a chance to succeed."

"There's no way you just left her there," Frostbite stated confidently. His SkyWing father may have seemed rough on the surface, but the young IceWing knew that he wasn't really cold-hearted.

"That's right," Nimbus responded as he looked to the sky.

The sun had finally risen over the horizon, making it bright enough to see the water that reflected off the green leaves all around. The light caused a perfect rainbow to form. All of the colors were easily distinguishable from each other. It appeared so solid that Frostbite thought he might be able to stand on it.

"Instead of abandoning her, I took her to a small cave in the forest where I used to hide out in whenever I didn't want to be around my parents. Every day when I went hunting, I would always bring some food to Bre-" he paused. "You know what? I'm going to call her Gale. Anyway, I always brought food for Gale. This went on for about half a year. She had finished learning how to talk, and she was just figuring how to fly. I remember, no matter how many times she crashed, she got up and tried again. What she lacked in size, she made up for in determination."

"What happened to her?" Frostbite asked as Nimbus returned his focus to him.

"Well, one day I went back to the cave, and she was nowhere in sight. The room was freezing, and I saw this silver coin on the ground." Nimbus reached into the small leather pouch on his arm and pulled out the shiny artifact. Cautiously, he handed it to Frostbite.

The mystified IceWing took it and realized the symbol on the back was similar to that of the objects he had seen in Diamond Spray Town. The coins there depicted a picture of a SkyWing with its tail wrapped in an almost completed loop, like a sideways number eight. The talisman he held now looked almost identical, the only difference being that the dragon had several spikes etched on its head and tail.

Frostbite turned around and looked at his own tail. "It's an IceWing," he noted grimly.

Nimbus nodded slowly.

"You think that IceWings killed your sister. That's why you hate them so much."

He nodded again. "She was so small, just like you, and she had the sweetest smile…"

Frostbite thought for a second. "You know… maybe you're right about IceWings being awful." Nimbus looked up, surprised by the statement. "I mean, the only IceWing I've ever met tried to strangle me for not having a necklace."

Frostbite handed the coin back to Nimbus. He slipped it into the bag.

"I've been keeping that coin to remind me of why I've been fighting, but no amount of IceWings I kill will ever bring Gale back." They both looked downward. "You know, I've never told that story to anyone, not even Amber. Strange how nothing has made me feel better about it than talking to you… I know, that sounds stupid."

"Don't worry Nimbus," Frostbite reassured him. "Anything _you_ could say already sounds that way!" The red SkyWing let out a quick chuckle. "Well, thank you for sharing with me. Even though it's been terribly cold out here, and we're both miserable, I'm glad I got to spend some time with you.

"That makes two of us," Nimbus agreed as he wrapped a wing around Frostbite's torso.

Suddenly, there was a small rustling sound coming from the thicket of bushes nearby. "Oh yeah, I should probably tell you that Canary has been following us all day."


	7. Chapter 6

**\- Chapter 6 -**

"What?" Frostbite exclaimed as his jet-black eyes shot wide open. He pushed away from Nimbus, who strangely seemed to have a very calm expression, then turned to face the gathering of trees nearby, unsure of where exactly he was supposed to be looking. "Canary was following us? Why would she do that? How long did you know?"

"My, you ask a lot of questions," Nimbus stated firmly as he sauntered over to the troubled IceWing. "But can you really blame her? It only makes sense that a SkyWing captain would feel obligated to keep an eye on an IceWing in the territory of the sky- let alone, during a war." He reassuringly placed a claw on the tiny dragon's shoulder.

The rays of the early morning sun cast down from the darkened, blue sky. Light radiantly reflected off of Frostbite's clean scales, making them glisten an almost perfect white that could blind anyone who gazed upon them for too long. The crimson scales upon the SkyWing's scarred body turned a shiny, dark orange, closely resembling colors that appear on a blood moon.

Frostbite stood open-mouthed as Nimbus turned toward the woods. "It's alright, Captain Canary! The situation is under control! You need not worry about us!"

 _Situation? Is that all he thinks I am?_

Although Frostbite couldn't see the SkyWing captain reveal herself, he heard the rustling of several plants, followed by loud wing beats as the SkyWing captain supposedly decided to leave them in peace.

With his mouth still ajar, Frostbite turned back to Nimbus.

"How did you know Canary was following us? I mean, I understand how someone who fought in the war could notice someone stalking them, but how did you know it was Canary?"

"You're curious about everything, aren't you?" the large SkyWing laughed. Frostbite closed his jaw and nodded slowly. "I suppose it was a lucky guess."

"Really?"

"No, it's because I saw her. She isn't as sneaky as she'd like to believe."

"I didn't do anything that would get me in trouble with the SkyWing guards, did I?" Frostbite asked as he looked down at his talons. A small, black beetle with a shiny shell crawled in between them before promptly deciding they were far too cold and slipped underneath a nearby rock. "I would never do anything bad on purpose because I really like SkyWings… And I _really_ don't want to be sent to prison."

"Other than pestering me with questions and, well, just being an IceWing, I should think not," Nimbus presumed in a dignified manner.

Frostbite opened his mouth as if he were about to speak again before Nimbus interrupted.

"No, Frostbite, I do not think she will come back with the rest of the guards, and if she does, she'll have to go through me." He grinned smugly, and Frostbite nodded.

"That reminds me," Frostbite mentioned as he turned his head upward to look at Nimbus. "When you and Mother were, uh, arguing, don't you think it seemed like Canary was trying to make you angry?" Nimbus gave him a puzzled look. "I mean, she was saying things that made you upset, on purpose, I think, and after a while, she just watched you with this _creepy_ smile. It was like she wanted you two to fight."

Nimbus looked up and closed his eyes.

"Yep," he sighed disapprovingly. "That sounds like Canary." He tilted his head down toward Frostbite. "She's always looking for drama- she's into that sort of thing. I bet she thought she'd see more than us stumbling around for a day." He sighed again. "Alright, let's go find something to eat. Apples won't cut it for me, and I'll admit it: I'm starting to miss Amber too."

"How do you know that about Canary?" Frostbite questioned. "I've been living here my entire life, and I haven't heard a thing about her other than how harsh she can be."

Nimbus shifted his wings back as a mildly uncomfortable expression appeared on his face. "You see, Canary and I used to-"

Suddenly there was a rustling coming from the bushes nearby. A large rabbit, nearly the size of Frostbite's head appeared out of the overgrowth. Light brown fur coated the top of its body that darkened as it went further down, its paws being almost entirely black. It bolted from the bushes, dashing past the pair of dragons with small, but swift hops. Frostbite followed it with his eyes before it disappeared into the thicket once more.

"What are you waiting for?" Nimbus demanded as he shoved the smaller dragon in the direction the rabbit had vanished. "Go after it!"

"Uh… can't _you_ go after it instead?" Frostbite asked shiftlessly as he flexed his talons on the grass. "You're probably faster than me anywa-"

"Do you think I can run on a broken leg?" Nimbus interrupted, impatience showing clearly on his face. "Move it! I'll be right behind you."

Frostbite squinted at the trees ahead, then turned and leaped into the woods.

The large hare couldn't have been too far ahead. Frostbite could see bushes shaking in front of him, which could only be the rabbit's doing. Though Frostbite could move much quicker than the hare, he struggled to slip through the overgrowth as gracefully as the smaller animal. He ran as fast as he was willing, knocking aside low branches with his wings as he continued to chase the creature that could grant him salvation.

Frostbite could feel the penalties from a night of uneasy rest weighing down on his legs. If he didn't catch up to the swift hare soon, he might end up returning the apple he'd eaten earlier back to the soil.

Although Frostbite was in the middle of pursuit- dashing across the grass, around tall trees, and even over some small rocks, he couldn't help but wonder how a rabbit of such exceptional stature had remained uncaught in the wild for long enough to grow into such a hefty prize for any creature who would hunt it. Clearly, it wasn't very smart- it decided to jump out in front of two hungry dragons.

Suddenly, predator and prey burst out of the shrubs and into a long clearing. Frostbite could see the large creature in front of him as clear as day. It moved in a straight line, the movement of its legs pushing off the ground perfectly synchronized.

The worn-out IceWing knew this may be his best chance to reach the brown rabbit- there was nowhere for it to take cover. Breaking out into a sprint, Frostbite's talons griped the moist green grass and threw it behind him.

Small crystals of frost formed around his snout from his rapid breathing as he gained more speed. His lungs felt as though they were full of ice as he closed the distance between himself and the hare until he was only a dragon's length away.

Suddenly, he propelled himself forward, pushing off the earth with his back legs in one final attempt to snag his meal. As Frostbite soared through the air, he worried that he may not have gained enough momentum to reach the beige hare.

Much to his relief, he could see his shadow engulfing the creature of prey as he continued his descent. Moments before landing, he stretched his claws forward and wrapped them around the underside of the rabbit.

He felt the unbelievably soft fur of the terrified creature in between his talons as he touched the ground and rolled over onto his back. With his claws, he secured the rabbit to his chest to ensure it would not escape. It kicked and squirmed, but to no avail; it couldn't break free of Frostbite's frigid hold.

As he sat down in the grass and relaxed his tired legs, the IceWing dragonet could hear wing beats from above. Frostbite looked up and saw Nimbus hovering high over the clearing. His gigantic figure blocked the light of the sun, apart from a few rays that pierced through the thin material of his wings, making them appear a very dark orange. His injured leg dangled limply beneath him as he smiled down at Frostbite.

"Haha! Yes!" Nimbus applauded as he descended down upon the small IceWing. Carefully, he landed beside him and began inspecting the hare.

"Look at the size of this thing," he exclaimed as he placed a claw of Frostbite's back.

Frostbite could not help but feel pride as he grinned back at the crimson SkyWing. He had managed to impress Nimbus, a dragon who clearly held very high standards.

"This is the most magnificent thing I've ever seen! Excellent catch, son," the large SkyWing continued.

 _Son?_

The words emerging from Nimbus' mouth surprised Frostbite so much that he faltered and nearly lost his grip on his prey. His grip began to loosen, but he quickly constricted the rabbit back to his chest before it could hop away.

"Son?" he repeated in complete astonishment as he turned to face Nimbus.

Nimbus seemed to equally as bewildered by the statement, not fully comprehending what he'd said until he heard it from Frostbite. His pupils shrank in his golden eyes as he wrinkled his snout.

"Oh, sorry. Guess you're not ready for me to call you that."

"No, it's alright," Frostbite responded, lifting his face toward the giant SkyWing with trust in his eyes. " _Father_."

"Whoa, let's not get crazy," Nimbus teased.

Suddenly, the bountiful hare shifted and kicked Frostbite's chest with the back of its foot, causing him to let out a sharp cough.

"So," Nimbus started, tilting his head toward the rabbit in Frostbite's claws. "Are you going to end that thing's suffering, or what?"

Frostbite looked down at it. It's glossy black eyes somewhat reminded him of his own. It continued to struggle relentlessly with undying energy.

"Um… How about you do it?" He suggested and handed it to Nimbus.

"Don't feel bad for it. You caught it. You won. It's just nature; if we didn't get it, someone else would've."

Frostbite turned his head away as a loud _snap_ echoed in his ears.

* * *

"You mean you weren't worried about us at all?" Frostbite sighed as he continued to lay at his mother's side.

The two were perched atop Amber's large, circular bed as they discussed his time in the forest. The resting place that had been carved of stone and appeared almost bowl-shaped- filled nearly to the brim with soft, scattered animal furs. Its smooth sides were able to cup those who rested within it, like a bird's nest for dragons.

Amber laid on her stomach in a crescent shape, wrapping herself around the little IceWing, who had nearly rolled himself into a ball. She had grown used to the chill of Frostbite's scales and even found the numbing sensation to be refreshing- soothing over the aches she had gathered throughout the day.

"Oh, of course not," Amber replied innocently as she stared into Frostbite's glistening eyes. "I admit it was regrettable sending you out in the rain, but I knew you'd be safe because you were with Nimbus." She lifted her head and faced the entrance to the red SkyWing's room. "And I knew he'd protect you because he _loooves_ you!"

Nimbus let out a loud groan that carried on into the cave.

Amber smirked as she turned her attention back to Frostbite. "That doesn't mean I didn't miss you terribly, though," she assured him sweetly. She reached out with a claw and gently pulled the IceWing closer to her chest. She pressed the top of her head to the back of his neck as she held him in a loving embrace.

Frostbite could feel the warmth emanating from Amber's flower-orange scales and smiled.

"I really missed you, too, Mother."

Only within Amber's caring talons did he truly feel safe. He allowed all his troubles to drift away for another time whenever she was around.

For a moment, the two continued to lay in peace.

"Now tell me," Amber began as she spread her wing over the small IceWing, "did you and Nimbus get along well?" She looked down at him, her citrine eyes wide and full of hope.

"Hmm," Frostbite hummed, knowing very well where he stood with his SkyWing father. "I thought he tried opening up to me a few times, but it wasn't until he called me 'son' that I knew we were really starting to come together."

"Aha!" the clementine SkyWing squealed, clearly very relieved and overjoyed. "What did I tell you? I knew he would come around!"

Amber's sudden outburst startled Frostbite enough to make him wriggle out of her grasp and onto the cold floor.

The orange SkyWing nearly jumped in excitement as she turned toward Nimbus' room once more. "Isn't this great? Two of my favorite dragons finally like each other! I knew you really _loooved_ him!"

All she got in response was another exaggerated groan.

* * *

"So," he asked calmly, "what is your plan? For Frostbite, I mean."

"I don't understand what you're trying to say," she replied, equally as tranquil.

Amber and Nimbus seemed to be discussing something again, much

less aggressively this time. Still, Frostbite hated being the center of their discussion, seeming to be the topic of all conversations since Nimbus came home.

He knew that his SkyWing parents thought he was asleep as he silently crept out of his bed and began inching closer to the voices and light emitting from Nimbus' room, eavesdropping on their conversation.

Frostbite noticed Topaz staring at him from her bed, her small, yellow eyes following him curiously, but she did not make a sound. Although he was certain that she couldn't see it in the darkness, he signaled for the young SkyWing to stay silent.

The conversation continued as Nimbus spoke gruffly, "I'm talking about his future. Surely, you don't expect to keep him here forever, do you? He can't spend his entire life in hiding."

Frostbite felt his way along the wall, nearly stubbing a talon in the process. He bit down hard to avoid making a little yelp as found himself standing beside the dim light shining from the room.

"He won't have to be kept hidden for much longer. Soon, the prophecy will be fulfilled, and the war will end," Amber assured him lightly.

Frostbite longed for the NightWing prophecy to come true and allow him to finally be accepted in the Sky Kingdom. He would no longer need to fear being discovered. He could no longer avoid the SkyWings he aspired to be.

"Amber," the other dragon sighed, "look inside yourself. Do you truly believe that this war will end because some NightWing prophet said so? Even _you_ know that sounds ridiculous. It isn't safe for him here. Imagine what might happen to us if we're found with an IceWing in our home; imagine what might happen to him."

Frostbite's heart sank, and his chest started to ache. Nimbus' words made it seem as if he could bring peril to his family, even involuntarily.

 _Maybe he's right. Mother could get into a lot of trouble if I'm found…_

"Well, what do you suppose we do about it?" Amber questioned him.

"You know, he's almost an adult now," Nimbus replied. "Six years old, right? He's growing more independent."

Frostbite's legs started trembling as he realized the true nature of the conversation.

 _Nimbus is just trying to get rid of me_ , he realized grimly. _Why did I ever think he could like me? He could never trust me; he could never understand that IceWings can be anything but awful. Not after what happened to his sister._

The sorrowful IceWing tilted his head down, but he could still see his sister's eyes gazing at him pitifully.

Suddenly, a new thought surfaced in his head.

 _Actually, why did I ever think I could trust him? He's probably killed hundreds of dragons, and I'm just another obstacle for him. I'm not the overly-dangerous dragon here. It's him!_

A sense of anger began building inside him, a sensation he didn't feel often; a small kindling that glowed more fiercely every time his SkyWing father spoke ill of him.

Although he knew that Amber wouldn't hesitate to jump to his defense, Frostbite decided that it was his turn to stand up for himself. He took a moment to work up some courage, and burst into the forbidden room.

It was a lot smaller than he had imagined. Frostbite had expected it to resemble an area of luxury- full of gold and jewels, but all that he could see inside was a small, square-shaped wooden desk with a small scroll rolled out on top of it, a large bed covered with brown furs, and a small torch resting on the wall. The room closely resembled the area where Frostbite had previously been, though, a lot smaller. There were also two speechless SkyWings staring down at him with widened eyes.

 _Oh, right, I came to make a point._

Frostbite turned to Nimbus, who sat on the left side of the room, giving him a curious look. The fire crackling on the wall offered the gigantic SkyWing an ominous glowing outline.

"What do you think you're trying to do here, Nimbus?" He took extra care to avoid calling him 'Father' as continued to let his rage pour out. "You think I'm nothing but a danger to my family, and you've just been trying to get rid of me this whole time, but there is nothing wrong with me! I may be an IceWing, but you're the only one with a cold heart!" he accused him boldly, then silently admired how courageous it was of him to stand up to the blood-red SkyWing that way.

He looked Nimbus directly in his golden eyes, then instantly regretted joining the conversation. There was a pause. Frostbite a sense of panic erupting inside of him, his heart thundering in his chest as he tried to stand tall upon the stone floor. Even then, if Nimbus were the size of a pine tree, Frostbite was a sapling.

 _He's going to cook me alive! He's going to tear me to shreds! I shouldn't have done that, I shouldn't have done that, I shouldn't have done that!_

Amber stared at him, dumbfounded by his words of enragement. She had never heard Frostbite say anything even remotely aggressive before.

The gigantic SkyWing paused for a moment, then scoffed.

"You _do_ realize I'm only saying this because-"

Suddenly, even more fury found its way into Frostbite's mouth, the sensation of anger causing him to feel nauseous. He flared his ice-blue wings and spat out words that were not his own.

"No! I don't want to hear what you have to say! I know exactly what you're trying to do!" He paused for a second, catching his breath. Nimbus shifted his head back, amused by the outburst of the usually docile IceWing.

Frostbite could feel hatred running through his veins. The unbearable tingling scattered all throughout his body until he could do nothing but shout.

"If me leaving is the only way to get you to stop being so _vile_ , then maybe I'll just go!"

Amber snapped out of her daze and called after him, but he had already bolted out of the room, past Topaz, who was still watching him, and through the cover of the cave entrance. He spread his wings and jumped into the air with a tremendous amount of effort and soared toward the stars.


	8. Chapter 7

**\- Chapter 7 -**

With a heavy heart, Frostbite flapped his wings harder and harder, pulling the energy from his anger and spite. He flew for the moons above until he was high enough to see snowy peaks ahead.

Glistening in the moonlight, the Claws of the Clouds Mountains stood before him, their icy tips piercing through the sky. He could not peer beyond Pyrrhia's vast mountain range, for the tall peaks blocked his view ahead.

In the cloudless night, thousands of stars sent their light down upon the continent. Each one seemingly flared a different radiant color. From the purest white to the most imperial violet, the great beacons stood as signals of hope- a promise for a new tomorrow.

Far beneath him, Diamond Spray town appeared merely a speck illuminated by nothing but a few tall torches by the river and entrances to homes.

To the north, Frostbite could vaguely see the outline of the Sky Palace, standing as tall as the mountains ahead.

The temperatures grew freezing high up above the world. Even Frostbite, though being mostly resistant to the chill, could not help but want to shiver. The night air he was fanning onto his body with his wings certainly was not helping.

The infuriated IceWing was certain that Amber and Nimbus would spot him immediately, shining in the moonlight like a star- that is, if they decided to go looking for him. Frostbite knew Amber would, at least.

There were no clouds to hide above, so he was unsure of where he should go. He felt so agitated, that he wanted to get as far away as possible, so he decided to fly toward the only visible moon.

The moon, full and pale, presided over the Claws of the Clouds Mountains. As Frostbite started to fly, reason returned to him and told him that it was impossible to reach the moon high above. Nobody has done it before. He knew that he could this was true, but did not want to return home after making such a spectacle. Nimbus would just think of him as an even bigger annoyance. He continued to fly for the snowy mountains.

Frostbite flew as fast as his wings could carry him, for he was certain Amber would catch up to him quickly, on account of her being a SkyWing and much more powerful flyer.

 _She wouldn't be able to catch me if I were a SkyWing… Then again, if I were a SkyWing, I wouldn't be running in the first place._

He started feeling exhausted, yet better at the same time as the chilly air ran over his face and down his scales. He even had to remind himself why he was out here, soaring away from his home a number of times.

Soon, his wings ached, and he began having trouble breathing, letting out a sharp breath and a few ice crystals from his mouth each time he propelled himself forward. He'd never had to fly so far so fast.

By the time he decided to slow down, he realized that he was almost upon the mountains. Frostbite didn't want to stop yet. At least not until he could rub some wonderful snow on his shoulders, and pretty much everywhere else.

Frostbite liked to imagine that he looked like a shooting star to anyone who was watching him from below. This was one thing he liked about being an IceWing. However, he hoped that nobody actually was watching him from below, because more likely than not, they were a SkyWing, and they would probably want him dead. The thought sent shivers running through his scales as he landed near the summit near the base of one of the many white mountains.

The tired IceWing could not see any stone peeking out through the mountainsides, for they were completely covered in snow from top to bottom. However, there were a few dark green bushes with edged leaves dotted here there carrying curious, pink berries. Frostbite was tempted to reach over and a few, but not until he indulged himself in the other wonder all around him.

Snow. How incredible the frigid substance felt upon the troubled IceWing's talons and back as he began to roll around in it, leaving a large imprint, an eyesore in the perfectly smooth ground.

As if by magic, the magnificent white flakes upon the earth seemed to wash away his worries until he had forgotten why he had come here in the first place. Usually, Frostbite traveled to the Claws of the Clouds Mountains with Amber whenever he was sad, distressed, or just looking for fun.

 _Amber._

Suddenly he remembered why he had found himself on a white mountainside deep within the night.

He still felt embarrassed about the whole ordeal, but less so than he did before. Frostbite recalled what Nimbus was trying to say before he rudely cut him off.

 _Nimbus was just trying to look out for me, he recollected. And I was… mean to him._

"Mean." A word not often used to describe the actions of the little IceWing.

 _I owe him an apology._

Frostbite looked up, toward Diamond Spray Town, and sure enough, he saw two shapes heading his direction- Amber and Nimbus… probably.

 _Why did it take them so long to catch up to me? Oh, Mother is probably trying to give me some time to calm down. Thank you, Mother._

As he continued to stare at their figures in the distance that were gradually getting closer, he noticed a much smaller shape flying with them.

 _Is that Topaz? No, probably not. Topaz hates the cold… Is it Canary? No, they're too small. Who is that?_

The silhouette appearing to fly alongside the SkyWing parents was not, in fact, a smaller dragon. Rather, it was a larger dragon further in the distance.

Frostbite had no idea who it was, and couldn't determine its color under the shroud of darkness, but it was heading toward the pair of SkyWings with great haste.

 _They're very fast, they must be a SkyWing. Maybe it's a guard that's come to take me away! But Mother and Nimbus would never let that happen. Ok, Nimbus might, but probably not._

Frostbite started to pace back and forth, his talons slightly sinking into the snow, leaving behind small tracks as he hoped the two SkyWings would reach him before the other dragon reached them. He decided not to fly to them, for he did not want to be seen by the other SkyWing if he could avoid it.

Gray clouds gradually formed and obscured his vision up to the point where he felt as if a giant cloudy dome had been draped over the mountains. He could no longer see Amber and Nimbus, but he was sure they had seen him, and would be landing alongside him shortly.

Amber came first, slowly descending upon the small IceWing. As she landed, her claws touched the icy ground, causing her to shiver and lift her front claws off the ground in surprise. Nimbus continued to soar above them, slowly flying in circles, appearing almost invisible in the dark mist as Amber turned to face Frostbite.

"Hi… Mother," He uttered, embarrassment showing clearly on his face. The IceWing lowered his head submissively and laid down the spikes on his neck to prove that he was apologetic for what he had done.

"Phew," Amber panted as she placed her talons back on the ground. "It's so cold here!" A weak smile appeared on her face. "I hope you feel better now that you're in the snow."

Frostbite raised his head and nodded.

"This is the dragon who was always so kind to you?" Nimbus called at Amber from above, his voice being carried away by the harsh winds.

She pretended not to notice.

"Now, we need to discuss your behavior, young dragon," Amber stated calmly to Frostbite, her expression turning somewhat stern. "What you said to your father was very mean, and you hurt his feelings."

"I'm… sorry…" he muttered pitifully, then slowly walked to Amber's side and nudged his head beneath hers, the sapphire earring brushing against her chin. "It's just that I thought Nimbus was trying to get rid of me, and you were going to let him, and I would never see you again, so I tried to stop him, but then I said some mean things, and I felt embarrassed, so I ran away, and I'm sorry…"

His snout slowly became wet with tears that fell onto Amber's chest, increasing her sensitivity to the cold. She gently stroked the back of his head as she wrapped one wing around him, bringing the tip near her neck, so all that protruded from Frostbite was his face.

The little IceWing loved being near his SkyWing mother. He found sanctuary in her warm, citrine colored eyes. Frostbite could tell that holding his freezing scales in the cold was taking a toll on Amber, as her warm breaths became jagged and misty.

"There, there," the clementine SkyWing spoke softly. "It seems like you've learned your lesson, but I'd still like you to apologize to your father. I should hope that you don't think ill of him- you know how sensitive he is."

"Hey!" the blood red SkyWing objected from above. He dove toward the snow in front of them, but managed to maintain his great posture on the icy ground, even on a broken leg. "I am not sensitive!" he stated profoundly.

"Oh, please," Amber laughed as she smiled at him. "If me calling you that is enough to get you up in arms, then that just proves how sensitive you are."

"Alright, alright," Nimbus sighed, releasing a plume of gray smoke that quickly disappeared into the mist. "Well, if Frostbite is done behaving like a _hatchling_ , I'd like to go back to our nice- well, maybe not nice, but warm, cave now." He opened his mouth and shot some flames into the air to warm his chest, but the moisture that surrounded him made the fire appear puny.

Amber, still smiling turned her head down and placed the tip of her nose on top of Frostbite's snout. "What do you think, darling? Are you ready to go home?"

 _Yes_ , he thought, but could not dispatch the feeling that he had forgotten something. He closed his shiny eyes, trying to recall what had been nagging at him.

"Could you please hurry up?" Nimbus moaned, "My wings are getting too frozen and stiff to fly."

 _Fly._

Suddenly, Frostbite remembered. The other dragon, flying far behind Amber and Nimbus.

His eyes shot open, and he met his mother's friendly gaze.

"Hey, was there anyone else flying here with you?" he asked.

Amber made a puzzled face, then turned to Nimbus who simply shrugged with his wings.

"It's just that, I saw someone else flying over here with you, and I thought that maybe it was Topaz..?"

"Topaz wouldn't come out here," assured him, restating what Frostbite already knew. "Topaz hates the cold- she gets that from me." He looked at Amber. "See? I know things about my dragonet."

" _Dragonets_ ," she corrected him, "with an 's.'"

"Of course," Nimbus coughed as he tilted his head toward the IceWing in Amber's embrace. "Sorry about that, Frostbite."

"It's ok, but that's besides the point," he responded. "I know I saw someone else flying behind you… maybe it was Canary? Like how she followed us in the woods?"

"What?" Amber demanded as she wrapped her wing tighter around Frostbite.

"Well, when Frostbite and I were in the forest, I just noticed that Canary was stalking us, and I assumed it was because she wanted to keep an eye on him, on account of him being an IceWing, and potentially dangerous," Nimbus explained, brushing snow off of his talons.

"Oh here you go with your talk of our son being dangerous again," Amber accused him.

Frostbite sensed that yet another argument may be coming, so he tried to wriggle himself free of Amber's grasp. However, she held him tightly, not allowing him to escape.

She noticed how uncomfortable Frostbite was becoming, and tried to make a more calm approach.

"I don't mean to shout," she continued in a less aggressive tone, "but I assure you, no harm will fall upon us just because our son just so happens to be an IceWing."

As if the universe heard her voice, the ground began to shake. The vibrations in the earth were not strong enough to send the three dragons off their balance, yet they were lively enough to induce panic.

Frostbite's head darted left and right, searching for the source of the disturbance, but all he could see was gray mist.

The movement caused his vision to quickly jerk up and down, although the magnitude was not very high.

He tried to break out of Amber's hold once more, but noticed that she was not moving at all. Her teeth were gritted, and her face appeared terrified. She had been frozen in place by fear. Frostbite stopped scuffling for fear of accidentally hurting her in the struggle.

"By the moons, look out!" he could hear the massive SkyWing commanding.

Suddenly, Frostbite could see where the shaking was coming from. A gigantic, brown boulder appeared from the mist and was rolling toward Amber and himself at breathtaking speeds.

The colossal stone appeared a very light beige in color with dark green moss growing on its side as if it had not been moved in quite some time. One could only imagine what prompted the massive rock to dash down the snowy slopes of the mountain after years of immobilization.

At this sight, Frostbite, too, found himself unable to move. His body braced itself for impact, knowing that it had no chance of fleeing Amber's iron hold.

The rock was almost upon them when Nimbus realized that they were incapable of escaping from the boulder's path, and took a tremendous lunge toward them. As he leaped through the air, his claws met with Amber's side. Using all of his strength, he shoved her away, then landed flat on his stomach.

Frostbite and Amber were sent cascading back into the snow as she finally grasped hold of the situation and released the horrified IceWing.

She lifted her head just in time to see Nimbus, desperately trying to get back on his claws, but failed on his broken leg, causing him to yelp in pain as he fell to the ground.

Time seemed to slow as he turned to Amber with a completely mortified expression, the first time she had ever seen traces of fear on his face.

Then the boulder rolled over him entirely. It continued down the slope, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.


	9. Chapter 8

**\- Chapter 8 -**

The great SkyWing's roar echoed throughout the Claws of the Clouds Mountains. The sound, suffused of pain and agony, rang so loud that it could have caused an avalanche proportional to its volume.

The cry sent shivers slithering down Frostbite's spine. Never before had he heard such a wretched noise.

He could feel Amber moving beneath him in the snow. In a flash, she had pushed him to the ground with a force he did not appreciate and sprang back onto her claws. She kicked up snow behind her as she shot directly to the wounded SkyWing's side, Frostbite following close behind her.

Nimbus, who once stood tall and proud had been brought to his knees by a rock. Both of his enormous wings appeared shredded while sharp, but fragile wing bones painted with blood protruded from his scales. His ribs had been cracked and broken beneath the stone's weight. Blood leaked out of his injuries and onto the ground, dyeing the snow crimson. Despite all odds, he was still breathing, moaning sickly to himself.

"Oh, moons! Nimbus! Nimbus!" Amber called out in despair as she placed a claw beneath his head, lying in the snow.

Frostbite stared at the gruesome image in horror. He had not ever seen anything so horrible.

"Ugh…" the injured SkyWing groaned. "That… hurt…"

His voice sounded weak and defeated, gasping between each phrase. Amber could tell that each word was excruciating.

"Shh, don't speak," she whispered to him. "We- I'll go get a doctor! You're going to be fine. You're going to be fine. You're going to be fine!" Amber pleaded with him, but his golden eyes said it all.

"No, Nimbus, please hold on!" Her breathing became rapid, and tears ran down her snout. "Please! You can't die! You were supposed to be safe here, living out the rest of your days with us- with your family! I don't think you said so much as one word to your daughter!"

"I'm… sorry…" he managed to respond. "I was supposed to… protect you… If I had been a better protector… If I had been a better father… none of this would have happened…" His finished his statement wheezing and gasping for air.

 _None of this would have happened if I hadn't ran out here,_ Frostbite realized painfully. _Nimbus is going to die… And it's all my fault._

Twice, Nimbus has saved Frostbite's life, but now, he would pay the ultimate price.

"Please," Amber begged him, "don't leave us. I thought I had prepared myself to lose you at war, but not now! Not when you're in my talons! Not where I have to watch it happen."

"Amber," Nimbus coughed, "you are braver… than you think, stronger, too…" He managed to smile. "You've proven yourself… and I know… you will be ok… without me…" Amber turned her head away. She could not stare at him any longer.

Out of the corner of his eye, Nimbus noticed the distraught IceWing's expression.

"Frostbite…"

He looked up and stared at Nimbus, then made his way closer to the dying dragon. Amber stared at him with an expression that was difficult to make out. She looked sorry for him, yet cross with him at the same time.

"Do not… think this is… your fault… You've taken the blame… for enough things… that you are not… guilty of…" He breathing became worse, as he had to pause between words more frequently.

"But this is my fault! I'm the one who brought you out here! I'm the reason you're about to die! _I'm the one who should have been hit instead…_ "

For a moment, all was silent. Frostbite looked downward and saw Nimbus frown. There was nothing but the cold wind blowing past his ears.

Eventually, Amber decided to speak up. "T-this was n-nobody's f-fault," she stuttered. The combination of the cold and weeping made it very difficult for her to speak. "It was j-just a traj-jic a-accident."

Even while saying this, Frostbite found that she could not look him in the eye, or wrap her wing around him for comfort. Perhaps she was the one in need to reassurance. She just kept staring at Nimbus' broken form.

"Frostbite… listen to me…" Nimbus commanded in a grim tone. The IceWing looked up and returned the glance, captivated by his golden gaze. "You have the body… of an IceWing… but you have the heart of a SkyWing… Please… if I have any right to ask you something… after all the mean things I've said to you… Take care of your mother… for me…"

Frostbite stood, shocked. Nimbus' words meant a lot to him. He came closer to the wounded SkyWing, all the while not breaking eye contact. Nimbus looked sad, but content.

"Nimbus," Frostbite stated firmly. He was trying his best not to fall over and cry as he heard his mother weeping near him. "What I said to you before we left was very mean, and I don't want those to be my last words to you, so hear me now." He touched the tip of his snout between the SkyWing's eyes. He felt as cold as the ice around him. "I love you… _F_ _ather…_ "

With that, Nimbus smiled as tears escaped from his golden eyes for the first time in many years. Then slowly, he shut them as his breathing became slower and slower, until finally, it ceased.

Amber, unable to cope any longer let out a cry of despair and collapsed on the great dragon's body, covering her scales with his blood.

Frostbite turned away and closed his eyes tight. He could not bear the situation either and began to cry.

Suddenly he heard wingbeats, and very close to him as well. He lifted his eyelids, his vision obscured by tears, but he thought he saw a long, red tail flick out from above, then disappear into the gray mist. Another SkyWing had been out there with them- the same SkyWing who had followed them to the icy mountains.

 _This was no accident,_ Frostbite realized grimly. _This was a murder, and I was the target._


	10. Chapter 9

**\- Chapter 9 -**

"I…" Amber started, then stuttered, as if she was unsure of what she was going to say. "I… don't know what to do now."

She stood in the snow, her talons now numb and senseless, her back turned away from Nimbus' body and Frostbite as well.

The IceWing sat nearby, staring at his mother, but he kept his snout shut. There was nothing to be said.

The atmosphere was grim and lifeless, much like the carcass that laid nearby. Although it was already late into the night, it seemed as though the slopes of the snowy mountains grew even darker.

 _Do not think this is your fault. You've taken the blame for enough things that you are not guilty of._

Frostbite stared down at his small claws as the late SkyWing's words circled around in his head, repeating their dreadful melody until they were carved permanently into his memory.

 _But… but this IS my fault. Nimbus was right before. I'm dangerous to my family without even trying to be. Now, he is… dead. And Mother…_

He tilted his head up at the clementine SkyWing, who continued to ramble on to herself. "Are we… supposed to take him somewhere?"

 _…she can't even think straight. And Topaz… she's all alone… I'm the one who deserves to be alone, somewhere far away, where I couldn't hurt anyone ever again. I… I should run away, Frostbite reasoned,_ but then decided that it would only cause more pain for Amber if he did. She had already been broken by the loss of Nimbus- losing another family member would shatter her heart beyond repair.

Although he knew that Amber loved him parallel only to Nimbus and Topaz, he thought himself unbelonging- unworthy of her affection. Frostbite felt as though he had caused them nothing but tragedy.

 _If it weren't for me, Amber and Nimbus could have lived happily every day and never argue. They could call the Sky Palace their home, where Topaz would be surrounded by gemstones… But because of me, we have to live in a town away from the other SkyWings. Because of me, Nimbus isn't alive. Someone… someone even tried to kill me! All of this! All of this because I am an IceWing!_

The tragic thoughts Frostbite was berating himself with put a heavy weight on his consciousness. His heart continued to sink lower than it ever had before. Yet again, he allowed tears to escape his glossy black eyes.

"The general…" Amber continued to mutter to herself. "The general will be rather disappointed. Why, they sent Nimbus back to us for the sole purpose of keeping him alive. If only I hadn't… If only I hadn't…"

"A-adopted me," Frostbite interrupted in a quiet, wobbly voice.

She turned her head toward the tiny IceWing with a surprised expression, as if she had forgotten he was there.

"Oh, moons, Frostbite!" she exclaimed, her voice much more clear and magnified. "Please, don't say that," she continued as she began to walk to his side. "This is already a… tough time, and I'm sure you could imagine how a mother feels when one of her dragonets says something like that." She tried to wrap her wing around him, but he pushed himself off of her.

"Get away!" Frostbite cried. "Look at all the horrible things I've already done! I'll only hurt you more!"

With a wounded look, Amber turned to him. "Frostbite, you know that none of this is your doing-"

" _Stop saying that!_ " he yelled back, letting his true feeling emerge. "You know none of this would have happened if I wasn't around!"

"No, Frostbite!" Amber roared back, startling him with her sudden change of tone. "None of this is your fault because it's all _mine!_ " She paused for a moment, catching her breath. Frostbite shifted his head back, confused by her words. "Look," she started again, "you didn't choose to be raised as a SkyWing. You didn't choose to make me leave the Sky Palace. You didn't choose for Nimbus to follow you out here. That was all me! I chose to leave the Sky Palace because I wanted you to live somewhere safer. I chased you out here because I was worried about you. I chose to adopt you because I wanted _you_ \- because I love _you_." She stared him in the eye, her gaze confident and assuring. "I see more in you than any normal SkyWing ever could. Now, I want you to see more in yourself. I want you to see more than just some IceWing who thinks they don't belong with a loving family. Nimbus said it himself- being a SkyWing isn't about how fast you can fly or what color your scales may be. Being a SkyWing- no, just being a good dragon is about who you are inside, and inside of you is the purest heart in all of Pyrrhia. You let the actions of other dragons convince you that IceWings are terrible creatures, but the truth is that if this awful war weren't being fought, it wouldn't matter if you were a SkyWing, IceWing, SeaWing, or even a NightWing- I'd still love you the same. All that's truly important is that you are yourself, and you accept yourself for what you are, SkyWing or not."

Frostbite was stunned, his mouth left ajar. Never before had he felt so wanted- so cared for by someone else. For a moment, he even considered smiling before the severity of the situation began to sink in once again. He stared at Amber, who looked as if she was trying not to cry, then turned toward his father's resting body.

Although he remained silent, Amber knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Listen," she spoke gently, "I know you must be tired. Please, go home now. As much as I hate the idea of saying this aloud, I'll have to go talk to Canary. She'll know what to do, but I doubt she'll be able to detain the boulder for its crimes. That boulder… it came out of nowhere. Why, oh why did the wretched thing have to come now of all times?"

 _The boulder- it didn't come from nowhere,_ Frostbite recalled, causing his heart to beat faster.

"Mother," Frostbite stated, unsure of how she might react, "the boulder… It didn't start moving on its own."

Amber presented him with a puzzled look.

"It's just that, after the boulder came, I saw a red tail in the mist for a few moments, and think it belonged to whoever I saw flying behind you before."

She did not look any more enlightened than before.

"Well, what I'm trying to say is that I think that the other dragon pushed the boulder toward us, and, well, I think they were trying to hit me with it."

Frostbite thought he saw the SkyWing's pupils shrink.

"Please, Frostbite, say that isn't so," Amber cried out, a prime example of how he did not want her to respond. Frostbite did not want to cause her any more worry than what she was already going through. "I can't bear the thought of any of this being on purpose, especially if the intent was to harm you."

"You… you mean you don't believe me?" the small IceWing groaned.

"I refuse to believe such a dreadful idea! Why would anybody want to harm you?" Amber stated firmly, although she started to shiver more vigorously. Whether this was because of the dropping temperature or fear of his words, Frostbite could not say.

"Mother… I think we both know the truth…"

She saw the IceWing's wings begin to droop and he tilted his head to the snow. "Dreadful, dreadful times we're living in," Amber sighed uneasily. "Well… if you're certain of what you saw, I suppose I can bring it up with Canary." Her words of reassurance made Frostbite feel just a little better. "Now, please, go home. Topaz is worried about you, and I doubt she likes being all alone this late at night. Look… I just need a moment. I will return to you later. I promise. "

Frostbite obeyed, but not before wrapping his arms around her neck in a caring embrace. He felt no difference in temperature between the snowy ground and her smooth scales. Finally, he turned his back to Amber and spread his wings.

"See you soon, Mother."

With a running start, he was off, lifting his small body into the air. He flew with tired, heavy wings, yet his heart felt even heavier.

* * *

If it were not for the dim torches shedding their warm light into the dark sky, Frostbite never would have seen Diamond Spray Town far below him. How long he had been away, he was not certain. All he could think about was what he would tell his four-year-old sister if he decided to say anything at all.

 _I'd better not,_ he concluded. Amber would be able to tell her of her father's shortcomings in a more subtle way.

Frostbite himself was unsure if what he saw really had occurred.

 _Perhaps this is nothing more than a nightmare. I've been having a lot of those lately._ But deep down, he knew that he was not inside of a dream.

Luckily, it was still so late at night that no other SkyWings would be present to witness Frostbite's descent upon the small settlement.

He flew down in a spiral pattern, overlooking the dark caves on the hillside. Not a light nor a sound emanated from any of the homes, not even his own.

Frostbite thought this was strange- Amber usually kept the small torch burning on the wall. She claimed this was because Topaz was afraid of the dark, but both of them knew that it was their SkyWing mother who truly felt uncomfortable in the dullness of the small cave.

No, somebody must have extinguished the flame on purpose, someone who did not want to be seen. Someone like…

 _…a murderer. Topaz! She could be in danger! I might already be too late!_

With neither concern for his own safety nor a plan for confrontation, Frostbite shot through the cowhide covering and into his home.

Much to his relief, he saw nothing unusual inside the dwelling but the yellow eyes of his sister who had been fast asleep just moments prior. Frostbite's sudden appearance had startled her awake.

Moonlight peered through the opening behind him, illuminating his pale scales in the dark room.

" _Frostbite!_ " she shouted, sticking her head out from the furs on her bed. He had expected her to sound scared, or even happy to see him after she had been alone most of the night. Instead, her voice seemed outraged.

The IceWing's eyes were well adjusted to the darkness by now, so he could see Topaz crawl onto the floor and march over to him with an unhappy expression. "I have a few things I'd like to say to _you_."

 _Oh brother…_

" _One_. Why did it take you so _long_ to get back? I put out Mother's torch so nobody would think she was home." She began to tower over him, her yellow eyes staring down at him like two of the moons in the night sky. " _Two_. How _dare_ you interrupt my _beauty_ sleep by bursting in here." Topaz' tone became more playful. Frostbite even saw her start to smile. He smiled back.

"How long have you been rehearsing this speech in your head?" he asked her jokingly.

Topaz ignored him and smirked. "I mean, _seriously_ , you ran in here even faster than Thunderstorm. Anyone who saw you would've thought you were being chased by an assassin!" Frostbite's grin faded.

 _Maybe… maybe I was being followed! I flew all the way home in the middle of the night all by myself. I would have been an easy target for the murderer if they wanted to tail me…_

"Whoa, Frostbite, it was just a joke," the young SkyWing clarified, bringing him back into reality. "Unless… you know something that I don't. Well, we both know that's _impossible_. Ha, ha! Oh, I almost forgot! _Three_."

"You're really going to let me have it, aren't you?" Frostbite sighed sheepishly.

"No," she said surprisingly tender. "I missed you, you big iceberg." Topaz moved next to him and brushed the tip of her wing with his. " _Brr_ , you're even colder than usual." He just shrugged. "Anyway, it was unbelievably brave of you to stand up to Father like that, but I hope you two made up. I _really_ don't want to hear any more fighting." She looked up at him with a sparkle in her eye. "Speaking of Father, where is he? And Mother, too? I thought they would follow right behind you."

Frostbite closed his eyes. He still was unsure of how truthful he would be with his explanation.

"Oh, let me guess," the goldenrod SkyWing joked. "The 'assassin' got them. _Yeah, right_."

"They're just… busy," Frostbite replied. "Mother told me she'd be back soon."

"Oh, 'busy.' That makes everything _so_ much more clear now." Topaz responded, rather sarcastically. "You know what? I'm not going to ask for details right now. Goodnight, Frostbite." She left the IceWing's side and leaped back onto the furs atop her bed. She laid flat, folding her talons then resting her head upon them.

Frostbite, too, returned to his sleeping place. His blankets felt soft and warm, although he may have found a bed of snow to be preferable.

"Goodnight, Topaz."

"Mother better get back soon- I want to _scold_ her too."

Frostbite's eyes drifted to his Mother's now empty sleeping place which did not often remain empty during the night. He stared at the archway the lead to his father's now vacant room and silently wept. Spreading his wing to cover his face, the troubled IceWing curled himself into a ball, letting his tears soak the furs on his bed until sleep found him and carried his mind far, far away.

* * *

 _The first thing Frostbite saw upon opening his eyes were his talons. What was once covered in scales of pale blue were now shining a vibrant, bright red._

 _His eyes widened as rapidly, he turned his head to see the rest of his body. Sure enough, the rest of his scales had turned a brilliant shade of scarlet. His wings and tail appeared much larger than they had before._

 _"I don't believe it!" the new SkyWing shouted ecstatically. "My wish came true! I really am a SkyWing!" Bright light shone all around him as he continued to admire his claws, opening and closing his talons in the pile of furs he had been laying on. Suddenly, he heard Topaz' voice coming from across the room._

 _"Uh… yes, you are. Is that… unusual somehow?" she asked, sounding genuinely confused._

 _Without looking up, Frostbite responded. "Oh, cut it out, Topaz. I know you're just messing with me."_

 _"T-Topaz? Surely you aren't referring to me. My name's Moonstone- you know that."_

 _Frostbite turned his attention to the owner of the voice, baffled by what he had heard. All the objects in the room appeared to be in their usual places. The table was still in the middle of the room, the two other beds were still tucked away in the side of the cave, and the skin-covered opening was still located to the right of his bed. Still, there was one unignorable difference- everything was made out of ice. Icicles hung from the ceiling like the stone stalactites the loomed over his own cave, threatening to break free and shatter on the floor into a million icy pieces. The ground, polished and colored light blue was so clear that Frostbite could see the apricot eyes of his reflection staring back him._

 _Suddenly, he began to feel the bitter cold nibbling on his red scales which were no longer resistant to the frost._

 _He looked to where his SkyWing sister should have been, but found a small IceWing instead- an IceWing that seemed to be the same age as Topaz. She had a long snout with a slender neck. The spikes on her the back of her head lifted curiously as she gave him a puzzled look._

 _"Jasper, are you ok? You're looking at me weird."_

 _"Jasper?" Frostbite repeated, darting his head back and forth in the new environment. He felt dizzy and was sure the spikes on his neck would have risen- that is, if he still had them. "Who's Jasper? And who are you?"_

 _"Um… you're Jasper, remember? I didn't think I'd have to tell you this twice, but my name is Moonstone. Did you just wake up from a crazy dream or something? You're acting very bizarre."_

 _"Dream," the puzzled SkyWing thought aloud. "It that was this is? A dream? And all of this is just some strange reflection of my home?"_

 _Moonstone kept staring at him strangely._

 _He looked back at his talons and frowned. "So that means… I'm not really a SkyWing."_

 _"By the moons, you're acting odd," Moonstone declared. "Maybe Mother will know what to do."_

 _"Oh, Amber's here?" Frostbite asked excitedly, looking at the icy reflection of his Mother's bed. There was nobody in it._

 _"What? No!" the small IceWing responded, looking rather uncomfortable. "Who's Amber? Our Mother's name is Tanzanite! Tanzanite! T-a-n-z-a-n-i-t-e! You're really starting to scare me."_

 _"T-a-n… is that how to spell things? Sorry, I don't know how to read or anything."_

 _"Oh, I wish she was here to sort this out," Moonstone complained aloud as she placed a claw on her snout, "but Captain Phalarope is keeping her busy." She then turned and scowled at him, causing Frostbite to shift back in his bed. The last time an IceWing glared at him, things did not end well. "I just don't understand how you could forget your own Mother's name, and yet, you're still her favorite dragonet."_

 _"I… I'm Tanzanite's favorite? I'm flattered, even though I haven't met her."_

 _Her black eyes continued to pierce through him. "She might say that she loves both us the same, but we both know that isn't the truth. Obviously, she likes you more- why else would she have given you that big ruby earring while I'm left with nothing!"_

 _Abruptly, Frostbite felt a small weight appear on his ear. He lifted his claw beside his head to handle the new object. As he rubbed the hard item between his talons, he realized that it felt similar to the earring he wore outside of the dream; although this one was placed on his right ear rather than his left. After removing the artifact to examine it further and holding it out in front of him, he realized that it appeared virtually identical to the teardrop-shaped sapphire he owned in reality; however, this one was fabricated from a ruby with a golden outline._

 _"Oh, I'm sorry you feel that way," he stated innocently. Gently, he tossed the earring to Moonstone. She looked surprised, but managed to catch it in her talons. "Here, I don't really need this, and I'm sure you'd be happier with it than I will. After all, this is only a dream, but I hope Topaz doesn't feel that way about me…"_

 _She looked at the gemstone in her claws, then back to Frostbite with a curious expression. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. The new SkyWing could tell that she was too confused to speak. He would be too if he were in her situation._

 _"I think I'm the one who's dreaming," Moonstone spoke, eventually. "But I think I'm starting to understand why Mother likes you so much. You didn't need to do that, but you gave up the earring you've been wearing for as long as I can remember just because you thought it would make me happy."_

 _Frostbite gave her a sweet smile, and she returned the glance._

 _Finally, a pleasant dream made its way into the Frostbite's troubled mind. He felt a small weight lift off of his shoulders as slowly, his vision became blurry, his focus shifting back to reality and the trials that soon await him._


	11. Chapter 10

**\- Chapter 10 -**

"Frostbite?" Topaz asked, walking over to her brother's side.

Frostbite stood in the center of the room, his back turned to the doorway. He had a small portion of the scroll he had received days prior unfurled atop the small, wooden table. Although his literacy had not improved in the slightest since last time, he tried again to decode the strange symbols known as words. Anything he could do to distract himself was favorable to continuing to ponder the events that had unfolded before the falling of the moon. He could not fall apart now- not in front of Topaz.

The young SkyWing's golden scales brushed against Frostbite's body as she stared up at him, her face full of curiosity and concern. "Don't you think Mother and Father would've gotten back by now?"

Without shifting his attention from the scroll, Frostbite answered, trying his best to keep his voice steady. "Yes, Topaz. I thought Mother would be back before we woke up." By now, the sun had well risen, bathing the land in brilliant light and gentle warmth.

His expression turned grim, and the spikes on his neck fell as he turned to face his sister. Frostbite did not want to be the one to describe the recent tragedy to Topaz, who remained unaware of exactly what had occurred, but he did not want to lie to her either.

"Frostbite, something's wrong," the young SkyWing pressured him, her voice becoming deeper and more serious. "Mother would never leave us alone overnight unless something _really_ important was happening. So, just tell me what happened, ok? I'd feel better at least knowing where they went. _Please_ , just tell me."

Frostbite sighed, exhaling a meager amount of frost which quickly evaporated into the warm air. There was no way around it, and it pained him to see Topaz in such a state of worry.

"Ok, I'll tell you all that I know," the bothered IceWing declared reluctantly. He decided not to fabricate any part of the explanation. Rather, a few crucial details would have to be left out.

"Before Mother sent me back here, she told me that she had to go see Canary to talk about… stuff. So, uh, she's probably with Canary so they can… talk… about… stuff…"

Topaz turned her head sideways with a puzzled expression. "Frostbite, that was… _the worst_ explanation I've ever heard. I don't even have a sarcastic response to that- I'm just utterly shocked you thought I'd let that pass."

She closed her eyes and sighed as Frostbite gave her an apologetic glance. "Guess I'll have to ask more _specific_ questions, and unless your brain is just a block of ice, I expect more _specific_ answers." Her tone grew frustrated as she backed away from Frostbite. "How about Father? Where is he now? I know nothing bad could happen to Mother with him at her side, so _please_ tell me that wherever they went, they went together."

Frostbite understood her frustration toward his lackluster reply. If he were in her position, he would want to know what happened to his parents too. Topaz continued to give him a fierce glance. She deserved to know the whole truth, but maybe not right this second.

 _Mother, please hurry up._

"Nimbus," Frostbite stated, his voice shaking. "Last time I saw him, he was on the Claws of the Clouds Mountains with Mother and I- but I- uh, don't think he went with her to Canary, but I don't think he's still there either. Listen, I don't know much of what happened after Mother sent me home. All I know is that Mother _promised_ me she'd come home."

Every second Frostbite continued to fib, he began to feel worse and worse. Eventually, Amber would come home and explain what had really happened. Even if he did it only to protect her feelings, Topaz would know he had lied, deeming her unworthy of his sincerity.

 _Maybe she'd understand why I didn't tell her… No, Topaz doesn't think about how other dragons feel. The only thing she'd understand is that I didn't think she could handle the truth._

He could not keep up the charade any longer. Unable to bear the weight of guilt on his shoulders, Frostbite opened his snout, ready to let everything come crashing out- his fear, his sorrow, and his sense of helplessness. If he was barely holding himself together, how would Topaz react?

Luckily, he did not need to find out.

The sound of heavy wingbeats entered the cave from outside, drawing the attention of the two dragons to the skin-covered opening. A sudden blast of wind entered the room, blowing the cover inward and running over Frostbite's scales. His scroll fell off the table and rolled itself up on the floor.

Finally, the noise faded, followed by a loud _thump_. Somebody had landed outside, taking no care to do so gently.

A few moments of silence passed. The dragon outside seemed to be waiting for something, or taking a moment to prepare themselves.

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard as the cave cover was brushed open, revealing Amber of the SkyWings, her posture low and wings drooping.

Her eyes, full of exhaustion, had become an infectious shade of pinkish-orange. Tied around her claw, she wore a dark leather pouch that appeared as though it was designed for someone of much larger stature.

On her curved, black horns, she brandished two silver rings. One appeared shiny and clean, neatly adorning the center of the spike on her left. The ring on the right, however, was far too big and the metal was covered in scratches. She wore it near the base of her horn where the material was thicker. Frostbite recalled a ring in nearly identical condition atop the head of his now late father.

"Mother!" Topaz cried, dashing over to the exhausted SkyWing and staring up into her weary eyes. "What happened to you? Where did you go? I was _actually_ starting to worry about you!"

Amber looked over her, staring directly at Frostbite. "I take it you didn't tell her anything," she coughed, her voice low and grim.

He shook his head. The spent SkyWing scoffed. "Of course." Then, turning her head down at Topaz, she said, "Look, we all had a long night, and I'm exhausted. Ask your brother about it, but be quiet, I need to get some sleep."

She began to trudge toward Nimbus' room, dragging her claws on the hard floor.

"I tried that already, and he's _useless_!" Topaz called after her. Frostbite wished that he could disappear. "At least tell me where Father is!"

Amber stopped in her tracks. For a second, she waited, then turned her neck, her eyes full of despair. "Nimbus is gone, Topaz. Your father is dead."

* * *

"To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to living with him anyway," Topaz admitted.

Now, she knew all of what Frostbite had known about the night before, apart from the fact that someone may have moved the boulder on purpose. Much to his relief, she did not seem too offended that he tried to hide the truth.

"What?" Frostbite whispered back, his sister's words putting him into a state of disbelief. He could not think of anything else to say. Even after the news of her own father's demise, Topaz seemed unphased.

"I mean, he doesn't- err, _didn't_ seem like the most pleasant dragon to be around. He didn't even care enough to talk to me," the golden SkyWing reasoned as she stared directly into Frostbite's eyes from the corner of the cave near the door.

Amber's loud snoring continued to echo from the late SkyWing's domain. For seven years, Frostbite had never heard her snuffle in her sleep. Now, it seemed as though she'd done it her entire life.

"He regretted not spending time with you- he told me. You didn't really get to know him. He's actually very…" Frostbite paused.

 _Nice? That might not be the right word, but he did really care about us._

"Protective," he finished.

"Yeah, 'protective' of his ego, maybe," Topaz shot back.

Frostbite shifted his wings. They still felt sore from all the flying in the night. Living in a kingdom where the skies were dominated by enemies, he did not get to use them often.

"Hey, well, I can tell that you got your sharp wit from him."

" _No_!" Topaz hissed back at him. As he shifted his head back, Frostbite worried that her outburst would awaken Amber from her deep slumber. "Don't say that. I don't want to be _anything_ like him."

"I don't mean to be rude, but I'm pretty sure you didn't get it from Mother, either."

Topaz sighed as she placed a talon on her snout. "Look, I'm sorry if you _think_ Father was such a great dragon, but he _chose_ to fight in the SandWing war when he could have been here with us. He didn't have to fight, but he _chose_ to. He _chose_ to be a murderer instead of being a good father. The only thing he didn't choose was being sent here after injury. Did you ever think about that? Did you ever think the only reason he spent time around you was because he _had_ to?"

Frostbite stared at her blankly. "I… That's not…" He turned his head to face the opening of the second room from across the cave. The noises that were still filling the dwelling indicated that Amber remained fast asleep.

"But, Nimbus must have had some good in him," the small IceWing decided. "He saved my life, twice, and he took care of me in the forest. He cared enough to follow me to the mountains, even though he hated the cold."

"Fine," Topaz scoffed, flicking her tail as she turned her side. "You can believe whatever you want about him." Then, her voice turned cold. "Not like it's going to change anything now…"

* * *

By the time Amber had risen from her slumber, the sky outside had turned a warm shade of orange, signaling the fall of the sun as Pyrrhia entered the night. Her snoring ceased, followed by a deep yawn.

Frostbite was the first one to meet her awakened eyes, rushing into the room as soon as he heard the sound of her voice. Topaz soon followed, eager to greet her SkyWing mother and find out where she had been for so long.

The room seemed completely unchanged since the last time Frostbite had been in it- then again, why would it be? The black-stained desk with a nearly full jar of ink atop it still resided to the left of the opening, opposite from where the clementine SkyWing laid in a crescent shape within a bed that would be identical to the others if not for its superior size.

Frostbite and Topaz both stood on the stone floor, looking up at her. Her eyes, staring down at the pair, had once again returned to their warm, citrine color.

"Good morning, you two," Amber said with a yawn. Her tone seemed much calmer than it had when she returned earlier.

Frostbite almost instinctively responded with 'Good morning to you, too,' before Topaz cut in.

"I hate to break it to you, Mother, but it's not morning- it's sunset."

Amber's eyes widened. "Oh, moons! It is, isn't it?" She paused for a moment, rubbing her talons against Nimbus' ring on her horn. "Both of you… I'm sorry for being so… insolent earlier. It was a long night, and I was exhausted, but I feel well-rested now." She then turned her head toward Topaz. "And I'm sorry for giving you such a rude awakening about your father." Her expression turned into one of shame.

The goldenrod SkyWing spoke up instantly. "It's ok, Mother. We forgive you. Now, I'm sorry for being rash, but can you please tell us what happened after you sent Frostbite home? We were both _very_ worried about you."

Amber let out a long sigh and closed her eyes. "You're right. There's no point in pretending that nothing happened. Frostbite, I trust that you explained everything to Topaz thus far, yes?"

Frostbite nodded as Topaz crawled into the bed, matching the shape of her mother before laying beneath her wing. Although there was still plenty of room in the gigantic SkyWing's bed, Frostbite decided to lay on the floor, as he did not want to chill the two with his cold scales.

"Alright, so," Amber began, gently stroking the tiny SkyWing's neck, "after I told Frostbite to go home, I decided that I had to go talk to Captain Canary. I'm sure you know that I'd rather deal with anyone else, but I thought she would know what to do when a dragon… dies. Now, I knew that she'd probably be asleep at the Sky Palace, so I had to fly all the way up the river to get there. It didn't help that my wings were numb from the cold mountain. When they eventually began to warm up, feeling started returning to them, and they _hurt_."

Frostbite shifted his own wings and frowned.

 _It's my fault that Mother's wings nearly froze off. She could've crashed while flying and gotten hurt, or worse._

She continued, taking a second to catch her breath. "Finally, I made it to the palace and found Canary's room. Other SkyWings that were still awake started giving me funny looks. I suppose they could tell that I didn't belong there… Anyway, I entered her room, and to my surprise, she was awake. She wasn't even in her bed, and she had a little pouch tied around her leg. It was almost as if… she was expecting me."

 _Canary was waiting for her? That's… odd. How could Canary have known she was coming unless… she was there on the mountain. Could it be? Could Captain Canary be the dragon who tried to kill me?_

Frostbite was just about to interrupt Amber's story when he noticed a critical flaw in his accusation.

 _No, the SkyWing's tail I saw up there was red. Canary's golden, and she doesn't seem like the type to get her claws dirty… For all I know, it could've been anyone. Practically every SkyWing in the whole kingdom would have a motive for killing me._

As Frostbite was deep in thought, he did not realize that he was missing a good portion of the story. He immediately listened back in, hoping he did not miss any crucial details.

"... and she brought three other SkyWings with her so they could carry the body, but they all seemed cranky- well, more cranky than SkyWings usually are, probably because she made them go so late at night. Anyway, they probably hate me now…"

 _Oh, she's just rambling._

"But she said that they'd have to take the body all the way to the general! Can you believe that?" Amber's voice started to rise. She almost sounded angry. "We don't even get to have a proper funeral for him! We're his family!"

As smoke began to pour from her mother's nostrils, Topaz shot Frostbite a worried glance. He decided that he would change the subject before Amber got carried away in her speech.

Darting across the room for objects of interest, Frostbite's eyes fell upon the silver rings decorating Amber's horns, their luster reflecting the light of the small torch on the wall.

"Mother?" the small IceWing asked in a gentle tone, "Can you tell me about those rings you have there? I know that one of them belonged to Nimbus, but what about the other one?"

"Oh, these?" Amber responded as if she had not just been irate. She removed her claw from Topaz' neck and lifted it to the scratchless ring above her head. "You're right, the big one did belong to Nimbus. The other one was found in his bag." She took her other claw and gave the leather sack tied around her arm a firm pat. The quiet sound indicated the container was nearly empty.

She sighed and looked at Frostbite with sad eyes. "It fit me perfectly, so I figured that it was a gift that he never got the chance to give me. Our anniversary is tomorrow… Well, _would have_ been tomorrow. Moons, I miss him so much already, even more than when he left for war the first time. At least then, I had hope. Now, I have nothing. Nothing but a memory…" Amber took a pause as shiny tears formed around her eyes.

Although she no longer seemed infuriated, seeing her sorrowful was not preferable. Frostbite decided to bring up something else. Something he had been unable to get off of his mind.

He stood up from his lying position on the floor. "I hate to mention this as much as I'm sure you hate to hear it, but did you tell Canary about anyone who might be… pushing boulders?"

Amber's eyes widened as she snapped out of her state of dejection and into one of remorse. "Oh, Frostbite! Forgive me, but it completely slipped my mind!"

" _What_?" Topaz interrupted, wriggling her way out of the bed and onto the floor, staring at Frostbite with a suspicious glance. "You told me a boulder came and almost rolled over you, but you _didn't_ tell me that someone might have done it on _purpose_!" Her wings flared up behind her, giving her a more intimidating form.

"I, was, uh, waiting for the right time," he responded sheepishly while backing away from the enraged SkyWing.

"The right time would have been _immediately_!" Topaz roared as she pursued him across the room.

"You're right, and I'm sorry," Frostbite plead. "I won't hide anything else from you ever again. I promise."

The goldenrod SkyWing closed her eyes and let out a long breath. "I just don't understand why you think you just keep things like this away from me. Do you think I'm not mature enough? Do you think that I can't help? I may be two years younger than you, but I can handle myself." She spun away from him, facing the torch they glowed dimly on the wall.

Frostbite could feel guilt creeping up his spine, making the spikes along his back stand up. "Topaz, I-"

"Stop," she cut in firmly, tilting her head so that one of her yellow eyes was fixed on him "It's fine. Look… I'm just worried about you, ok? The Sky Kingdom is a dangerous place for an IceWing. Now, someone knows you're here- someone who would even go as far as planning an assassination. Someone almost killed _my_ mother. Someone killed _my_ father. Someone tried to kill _you_."

She turned to him with a serious grin carved on her face and fire in her eyes.

"And we're going to find out who."


	12. Chapter 11

**\- Chapter 11 -**

"Would you two cut that out, please?" Amber begged while the torchlight lit her eyes, making her orange irises glow. "There's already so much going on, and I think it's far too early to be jumping to conclusions like this."

Topaz tore her eyes away from Frostbite and fixed them onto the bright scales of the distraught SkyWing while maintaining a solemn expression.

"Mother, this is _serious_ ," she stated in a grim tone. "Frostbite thinks that someone is trying to murder him, and even though he has _icicles_ for brains, I still trust him, so why don't you? Even if he's wrong, I still think it's better to confirm that with a little embarrassment than to confirm he's right by crying over his dead body."

Frostbite shuddered. The thought of losing him along with Nimbus definitely would not put her at ease.

"No, no, no," Amber muttered, placing her head in her talons. "It was all an accident, right? No one's talons are responsible for the death of Nimbus. Unless… unless someone really did try to kill my son." She started trembling. Her breathing grew heavy as she tightened her grip around her face. "If that's true… I'll… _I'll_ …" The words coming out of her snout turned to shouts as she stood tall on her back legs in the bed and spread her wings open as wide as the cave walls would allow. " _I'll kill whoever did this to us!_ "

Veins of red slithered toward her pupils until her eyes became completely bloodshot. As her long tail lashed out behind her, Frostbite though she looked as if she was going insane. Instinctively, he spoke out to calm the raging SkyWing.

"Mother, stop that!" he cried, trying not to sound too aggressive. "Everything's alright, everything's fine… Well, maybe not fine, but we can still find a way to fix this. We can still make sure nobody else get hurt. It's just… We just need a second to calm down and think."

Amber paused, looked down at her frightened IceWing son, then settled into a sitting position. "Oh, moons," she grunted, looking disappointed in herself. "I… I apologize for that outburst…" She placed her talons at the tip of her snout.

"It's ok, Mother," Frostbite reassured her, reaching his spiked tail around the circular bed and wrapping it around hers. "We're all pretty sad and scared right now, and I'm sure you're still shocked about what happened to Nimbus."

"It's not just that," Amber sighed. "You saw how I responded to the idea of there being someone trying to kill you. I was in disbelief, I didn't want to think that this could be real. I didn't listen when you told me you were in danger, and when I finally had to face the facts- why, I nearly lost my mind." She started shivering, but Frostbite could tell that it was not only because of his frigid scales. "Even on the mountain, when I felt the boulder coming, I froze up."

"You were just scared," he put in. "I was, too. It's normal to be scared sometimes."

"Listen," Amber interrupted him. "I don't want you to defend my actions. My point is that if I can't even handle myself when I'm in danger, how am I supposed to protect you?"

Frostbite stood silent, thinking about what she just said.

 _Mother's never really had to defend me physically. Then again, my life has never been in quite so much danger. She needs Nimbus more than ever, but now he's gone. All she has now are Topaz and me. If only I were a bit bigger and stronger- then, I could protect myself, so Mother won't have to worry… Well, Nimbus was the biggest and strongest dragon I knew, and the murderer was able to kill him anyway… But that's only because his leg was broken. I wish he were still here, then he could keep us all safe._

Out of the corner of his eye, Frostbite spotted Topaz, sitting silently across the room with her eyes closed. He wondered what she might be thinking. The area was so quiet that the only noise he could hear was the river flowing from outside and echoing off the cave walls.

As if she could sense Frostbite staring at her, the goldenrod SkyWing opened her eyes.

"Alright," Topaz stated firmly, "I've seen a few red SkyWings flying around, but I only know two: Nimbus and Robin. Now, it doesn't seem like Father would have rolled a boulder onto himself, so that leaves us with just Robin."

"Robin?" Frostbite questioned her. "I mean, he does seem irritable, but I've never even seen him. Do you really think it could be him?"

"Depends," she pronounced. "Were the murderer's scales a brighter or darker red?"

"Brighter, I think," Frostbite affirmed.

"Then it wasn't him." She let out a small sigh. "Ok, so all we know about this dragon is that they're willing to kill, willing to go somewhere very cold to do it, and that they have a brighter shade of red scales."

"Hey, we also know that they're a SkyWing," her IceWing brother added in hopefully.

"Not exactly," Topaz corrected him. "You probably think that because they have red scales, but a RainWing could also have red scales. They can be whatever color or colors they want."

"Oh, wow, I guess you're right," Frostbite admitted, dumbfounded that she was able to realize something so inapparent. "Topaz, you're so smart."

The young SkyWing gave him a wry smile. "Yeah, well, I really don't think a RainWing would try to kill you unless their motive and backstory were very interesting." She paused for a moment. "Now, I'm not saying to remove this idea entirely, I'm just saying that it's _extremely_ unlikely." Turning her head toward the far side of the room, Topaz spied her SkyWing mother, her head pressed down on the blankets of Nimbus' bed. "What do you think, Mother? Do you know any light red SkyWings?"

Without lifting her head, Amber replied in a low voice, "I know lots of red SkyWings, darling. I've met so many throughout my eighteen years in Pyrrhia that it's impossible to list them all. We've got Cinnabar, Tanager, Fowl- oh, poor Fowl, his parents must have hated him to give him a name like that."

"So what you're saying is that you can't help us?" Topaz accused her, piercing through her orange scales with her bright, yellow eyes. "Come on, at least one of them must have struck you as the murdering type. Someone who'd be willing to go to extraordinary lengths just to kill some IceWing that they've never even met."

"That's quite specific, Topaz," Amber objected. "And no, none of them have come up to me and said, 'Look out, I am a murderer.'"

"Wait, you said that you're eighteen years old?" Frostbite asked, the spikes along his spine standing up in surprise. She nodded. "Sorry, I know that's off topic, but I never really thought about that before. So that means you're twelve years older than me," he concluded with confidence. Amber nodded again and gave him a slight grin. "Wait, so how old was Nimbus then?"

" _Frostbite!_ " Topaz interrupted impatiently. "That has nothing to do with this, and honestly, I think finding out who's trying to kill you is more important than asking questions about a dragon who _isn't even alive_."

The small IceWing saw his mother bury her head in the animal hides and frowned.

"Topaz," he said sternly as he turned to meet her gaze, "that wasn't a very nice thing to say. You hurt Mother's feelings."

"Well finding you dead in a ditch won't be a very nice thing to see," the irritable SkyWing hissed back.

"Come on," Frostbite pleaded, "we can worry about this later."

Her eyes narrowed. "There isn't going to be a later if we don't find out who's trying to take your head!" she growled. "I'm sorry that you feel like staying alive isn't your top priority, but it's important to me. I know that I can be rude or insensitive sometimes, but I really do care about you."

"Yeah, you're right, Topaz," Frostbite admitted as he let a smile make its way onto his face. "This really is a big deal, and I should pay more attention. Thank you for looking out for me."

Topaz smiled back at him and flicked her tail out behind her.

Suddenly, a thumping noise appeared from outside, causing the two dragonets to turn their heads. Someone or something landed right in front of the cave entrance.

 _It's the murderer!_ the voice inside the IceWing's head screamed. Frostbite wanted to flee, he wanted to hide, but that opening was the only way in or out of the cave. He stared at Topaz, who looked more confused than frightened.

Reaching his head to peer around the corner of Nimbus' room, Frostbite saw a golden claw grip the edge of the cow skin cover and pull it aside, revealing none other than the great Captain Canary.

Holding a long, wooden spear with a shining metal tip, the SkyWing guard captain marched into the cave. Frostbite watched her spherical ruby earrings swing back and forth as she turned her head to survey the room. On her face, Canary brandished a ferocious scowl.

 _Captain Canary? What is she doing here? And why does she look so angry? She must not have seen me yet, because she hasn't said anything._

After what felt like several minutes, the SkyWing captain opened her snout and called out in a very sharp tone, "Amber of the SkyWings!"

"Huh? What?" Amber muttered as she lifted her head from the fur blankets. Her eyes seemed to be half closed as if she had just been asleep. She crawled to the floor and walked to the exit of the room. As her eyes met the piercing gaze of Captain Canary, she immediately stood up straight.

"Amber," Canary hissed in a voice that sounded identical to what Frostbite thought a talking snake might sound like, "care to explain why you decided to abandon your duty to the Sky Kingdom today?"

"W-what are you talking about, Captain," Amber asked, sounding genuinely confused.

"Do I need to spell it out for you? You were assigned as a guard for today, and you didn't show up. Why?"

This version of Canary seemed a lot different than the mostly cheerful dragon Frostbite had met just days prior.

"But… but you were up on the mountain with me last night. You saw what happened to Nimbus, you saw that I could barely even fly, so I just assumed," the orange SkyWing reasoned.

"Oh, I'm _sorry_ ," the SkyWing captain hissed back. "Did I give you permission to abandon your duty?"

"N-no, Captain," Amber replied, her voice just louder than a whisper.

"Then you better _assume_ that I'm putting you on the night guard for tonight."

"Y-yes, Captain. This won't happen again, I promise."

Although he was standing behind her, Frostbite could see anger building in his mother's eyes.

"It better not, unless you want to be on the night guard every night. Now come on, let's go," Canary barked.

"Captain, there's something I want to talk to you about. It's about the boulder on the mountain," Amber tried.

"It can wait until you're done with your task tonight," the SkyWing captain declared.

"Well, actually, it's really important-"

"Don't talk back to me," Captain Canary ordered with a grimace.

Amber looked behind her and frowned.

"Goodbye, you two. Stay safe."

With that, the sorrowful SkyWing walked around her captain, out the exit of the cave, and flew off to perform her assignment.

 _Mother was going to tell her about the murderer,_ Frostbite realized. _But she couldn't so… I'll have to tell her instead. Maybe she'll listen to me, or maybe she'll just get mad. Urg, I have to do it. It's either that or the murderer could kill me today._

He opened his eyes and saw the SkyWing captain near the exit, getting ready to leave. Frostbite looked at Topaz, who seemed nervous, then turned the corner.

"C-C-Captain C-Canary?" he called after her?

"Hmm?" the golden SkyWing hummed, then turned to face him. "Oh! Why, hello there, Frostbite." Her tone changed to seem bright and pleasant. She even smiled at him.

Frostbite was not expecting such a polite response from the great SkyWing captain.

"Oh dear, you look all shaken up," Canary noted. The surprised IceWing had not noticed until now, but he was shivering. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, but it did not seem like the SkyWing captain meant him any harm. "Is it because I was being rude to your mother? I'm sorry about that, but because I'm smaller than normal- just like you, it's the only way I can get my guards to listen to me."

"O-oh, that's alright, Captain," Frostbite responded with respect.

"Oh, please. I'm not _your_ captain. You can just call me 'Canary,'"

"Thank you, Canary." With the SkyWing captain's kindness towards him, Frostbite could feel himself calming down. "By the way, there's something I'd like to talk with you about."

"Oh, darling, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have a lot of work to do. Besides, staying in this town makes my scales crawl."

"O-oh, that's alright, Canary. Maybe we can talk another time."

"Is this the same thing Amber was trying to tell me about?" Canary asked him gently. Frostbite nodded. "Well, in that case, it seems pretty important, wouldn't you agree?" He nodded again. "Tell you what- in a few hours when the sun starts to set, and the sky turns orange, meet me at my hut by the guard camp. It's the only building there, so I'm sure you'll be able to find it. Do you know where the guard camp it?" Frostbite shook his head. "It's to the north of here. I'll leave a fire going there so you can see the smoke. Does that sound ok to you?"

"But what if one of the guards sees me and attacks me?" Frostbite wondered aloud.

"I'll make sure none of the guards patrol near the path to the camp so you can fly there safely."

"Well, thank you very much, Canary. You seem to be really busy, so it's very kind of you to make some time for me."

"You're welcome," Captain Canary answered cheerily. "Now, forgive me, but I really must be going. Farewell, Frostbite."

"I'll see you in a bit," the tiny IceWing called after her as she departed from stone dwelling. Now all he had to do was hope he could survive until then.


	13. Chapter 12

**\- Chapter 12 -**

Frostbite continued to stare at the sky outside the cave, waiting for it to magically change color like it always does. The sun still flared vigorously overhead, seeming as if it had the energy to shine forever. It did not look like it would descend anytime soon, so Frostbite decided to go back inside of his home, a place he once considered to be safe, but after the events of the past few days, he did not know if anywhere truly was.

 _After the war_ , he kept telling himself. _After the war, I can finally be safe. Just one more year before the prophecy comes true and the fighting will stop._

Frostbite could not say for sure if he thought NightWings really could read minds and tell the future, all he could do was hope that they lived up to everyone's expectations. If the dragonets of destiny came through, then he would know for sure. It would be such a shame if he perished before then.

SkyWings constantly put his life at risk, and other SkyWings were always there to protect him. He decided that categorizing dragons based on their tribe was not the best idea unless he met another IceWing, in which case, things probably would not go very well.

The hopeful IceWing recalled when Amber told him that the war had been raging for about seventeen years. Now, Frostbite was not very good with numbers, but he assumed that _seven_ -teen was very close to _eight_ -teen, meaning that war was all his mother has ever known. It was all he and Topaz knew as well. He was unsure about Nimbus, however. His strong spirit radiated youth and vigor, but his sheer size and scars made him look experienced with the world. War seemed to have that effect on dragons. Either that or they lose their minds or their lives.

Frostbite was not sure which year the war was supposed to end on, but if the conflict was supposed to cease in about three years, and this was year _seven_ -teen, he decided it would end on year _ten_ -teen.

" _Frostbite_!" Topaz called at him from the entrance of her father's room. She scraped her talons on the stone floor just in case her shouting was not enough to get his attention.

"Huh?" he muttered, snapping out of his daze.

The golden SkyWing had a fierce look in her eyes. "What is Pyrrhia do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

"I was, uh, thinking about the war ending, and, uh, how old Nimbus might be," he answered hurriedly. For once, he had no idea why his SkyWing sibling was scolding him. After all, he had just scheduled a meeting with Captain Canary. He finally put his life in his own talons and at least tried to do something right.

"What? No!" Topaz responded energetically. Frostbite recognized her tone. It was the voice she always used after he did something idiotic like the time he buried Amber's old bracelet to try and grow a jewelry tree, or when he tried to drink the entire river so the fish would be easier to catch. "Even when your own life is in danger, all you can do is think about other dragons. I'm talking about what you did with Canary! Why did you think that was a good idea?"

"What do you mean?" Frostbite moaned, causing tiny ice crystals to form in the air around his mouth. "I did something serious to try to stay alive."

"Yeah, but you asked _Canary_ for help?" Topaz countered. "I don't think you realize how stupid that was."

"Well, who would be better at guarding me than the guard _captain_?" the confused IceWing tried.

"Oh, _I_ don't know," she replied sarcastically. "How about _anyone_? How can you trust anyone who was so mean to Mother? Do you know anyone trustworthy who can go from being so mean to being so kind in a second?"

"I don't know very many dragons, Topaz, but that sounds a lot like you," he stated confidently. Truthfully, he really did think that the SkyWing captain and his younger sister were quite alike. For instance, they both seemed to have attitude, and they both seemed to have a secret soft side. Even their scale colors were very similar.

Topaz shifted her head back as if she was offended. Frostbite decided to lighten his tone.

"Come on, we can trust Canary. After all, she seemed genuinely curious about what's going on. That's why she's making time to meet me."

"If she really were ' _genuinely curious_ ,' then she would have at least asked for a quick explanation," the goldenrod SkyWing argued. "It's as if… as if she already knows what you want to tell her about." Topaz lowered her voice from a shout to a serious whisper. "But that means… that means she must have been there."

"She _was_ there," Frostbite interrupted. "Because Mother brought her there after the incident."

"Frostbite?" she asked with great concern. "Are you sure the dragon you saw up there was red and not golden like… like Canary?"

"Absolutely," he declared. "If the murderer's scales really were golden, they would have stood out a lot more."

"M-maybe your vision of color was distorted because you were so scared," Topaz suggested. "Or… or-"

"You're not really trying to say you think Canary is the murderer, are you?" Frostbite cut in. "That wouldn't make sense because Mother said that Canary was back at the Sky Palace when she went to get help, and she didn't mention her looking tired at all, and she would've had to fly _really_ fast to get there before Mother."

The young SkyWing sighed in frustration, exhaling a sizeable cloud of black smoke that collected on the stone ceiling then spread out into nothingness. "I… I guess you're right," Topaz admitted sheepishly. "She's the SkyWing captain. If she really wanted you dead, she could have done it long ago in a more official way, and she seems fine with you now. Well, not just fine, she actually _likes_ you. And you're right again, she really does know what happened to Father. Maybe the reason she was so quick to make time for you is that she just thinks you need someone to talk to. She has no idea you think someone purposely tried to kill a dragon that night." In her eyes, Topaz looked defeated. She tilted her head toward the ground and sighed again. "All the evidence points to her being innocent, but something _still_ doesn't feel right."

"I think it's because deep inside, you really do miss Nimbus," Frostbite said warmly. "As much as you tried to deny it, you really love your father, and you're sad that he's gone. How about you come with me? I'm sure Canary would love to comfort you, too."

"No way!" she forcefully declined. "You might trust her, but I still have a bad feeling about that creep! You're flying into a death trap!"

"Topaz, look me in the eyes. You don't really think that, do you?"

She lifted her head up, letting her brilliant golden eyes meet Frostbite's gentle black ones. For a while, they laid trapped in each other's gaze. Then, Topaz stepped forward and wrapped her enormous wings around him, hugging him as if this would be the last time she saw his face.

"Can't you just choose not to go?" Topaz pleaded, wrapping her tail around his.

"Canary's obviously super busy, and she made time to talk to me. I'm pretty sure she'll get pretty mad pretty quickly if I don't show up."

The small SkyWing remained silent for a moment, possibly contemplating the consequences of Frostbite not showing up, then spoke.

"Just… just promise me you'll come home, ok, you big iceberg?"

Frostbite smiled at her. "I promise. Besides, there's nothing to worry about. Canary is here to protect us. I'll be fine. Honestly, not going puts me in more danger."

"All right, but I'm going to hold you accountable for that promise. Don't you dare think I'll forget it."

* * *

As Frostbite continued to wait for the day to grow old, he contemplated the decisions he had made. Of course he was still going to go meet with the great Captain Canary, but he wondered if agreeing to was a bad idea in the first place.

 _No, Topaz just has me paranoid. Canary did nothing wrong, although it was kind of weird how she tried to get Mother and Father to fight, and how she followed Nimbus and I into the woods. Oh well, I'm the one who asked to meet with her, not the other way around. But still… Topaz said that something seemed off, and she's very smart._

Eventually, the bright sky began to fade into a small hint of orange. Peering out of the cave, Frostbite realized that no dragons were flying overhead or anywhere else in the sky, just like Canary had promised. However, he did notice a pillar of black smoke spiraling into the air from somewhere up the Diamond Spray River. Had Frostbite not known that it was the SkyWing captain's signal, he would have assumed that a forest fire started. Nonetheless, it was time for him to go.

"Goodbye, Topaz," Frostbite called. "I don't know when I'll be back, but I'm sure I will.

"Oh, is it that time already?" the young SkyWing sighed from across the room. "Ok… well, fly close to the ground, and remember your promise!"

He turned his head back to look at her. She looked uneasy, wrapping herself in blankets for comfort.

"I will," Frostbite confirmed as slowly, he stepped outside, leaving the shelter and security of his home.

The golden sun beckoned him over the horizon, departing from Pyrrhia to make room for the night and taking the blue sky with it. Small, gray clouds still lingered behind but were easily distinguishable from the dark smoke ascending in the distance.

As his talons griped the moist, grassy earth beneath him, Frostbite could feel his stomach churning. Whether that was out of excitement or fear, he could not say. All he knew for sure was that he was taking Topaz' advice and flying just barely above the trees, even though Canary told him it was safe. However, when you have a murderer on your trail, no amount of precautions seems like enough.

Frostbite took a deep breath, then jumped into the orange sky, spreading his wings and letting them catch the slow wind that was blowing by. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted his SkyWing friend, Thunderstorm, his marigold head peering out at him from inside his own cave.

 _Thunderstorm doesn't know what happened_ , Frostbite realized with a pang of guilt. _I haven't even seen him since Nimbus came home._

Thunderstorms eyes followed the soaring IceWing curiously, but he did not take off and follow him.

Frostbite knew he could not spend time talking to him and risk being late to meet Canary, so all he could do was wave and keep flying. Later, he would get the chance to explain everything. That is, if there was a later.

As Frostbite stared down upon the town had was flying just slightly above, he noticed that the usually roaring river was flowing silently, barely any disturbance making its mark on the water's dark purple surface. He decided to take it as a sign of comfort, although the sight was quite unusual. Focusing on the air was probably a better idea than staring at the bizarre water- Frostbite almost learned this the hard way when his face nearly collided with the trunk of a pine tree.

Finally, leaving Diamond Spray Town behind him, the soaring IceWing made his way to the smoke in the distance, flying so low that his talons almost grazed the healthy leaves below. Just once, he would like to fly like his life was not in peril.

As the incoming wind blew over Frostbite's scales, he came to a startling realization.

 _Canary can't be the only the SkyWing captain, right? There's no way she can make every SkyWing in the kingdom stay away from the river. But even if I do get captured by another SkyWing, Canary will get me out. Probably. Come to think of it, she could probably make me safe here even before the war is over._

Looking beneath himself, Frostbite realized the forest was covered in thick vegetation. As much as he wanted to duck beneath the shelter of the trees and continue on claws, he did not want to take any longer than he needed to to reach the SkyWing Captain. Lucky for him, the source of the black clouds was much closer than he realized. Before he knew it, the sight of plants was replaced with the brown dirt of the guard camp.

The base was much smaller than he had imagined. It seemed to be even smaller than Diamond Spray Town, taking the shape of a circular clearing in the trees, separated from the silent river by nothing but a few bushes on the east side.

About seven strange figures composed of nothing but twigs and rope lined the north side of the camp, driven like stakes into the ground. Frostbite was not exactly sure what they were supposed to be. Attack dummies, barricades, _graves_? For once, he decided this was something he did not need to find out.

As the young IceWing landed beside the bonfire in the center of the clearing, he realized that it was actually quite small. The woodpile was only as tall as his back legs. The glowing flames spun around and hissed gently as if to greet his arrival, but something seemed off.

Smoke filled his nostrils as Frostbite realized that no kind of lumber he had ever seen produced quite so much smoldering air. He decided to try and put out the fire before he started choking. After all, no one else needed the signal.

Opening his mouth wide, he attempted to exhale a blast of frost breath toward the roaring flames. He had never found a practical use for his natural weapon before, thus, he did not use it very often. Much to his relief, the frozen winds still managed to make their way outside of his body, coating the once burning wood with a shiny layer of frost, but not before cooling Frostbite's innards. Suddenly, he wished he could turn the fire back on. Although the lumber remained frigid, Frostbite could not help but wonder about the impressive flammability of the material.

 _What kind of wood is Canary using?_ he wondered. Then, a more important question arose. _And where's Canary?_

The whole place seemed devoid of any life apart from himself. Only one object of interest remained unstudied within the SkyWing camp. A small hut built from round, gray, well-placed rocks and twigs stood at the westmost side of the area. It took the form of a cylindrical shape with a rounded roof. A large stick protruded from the top of the mound with some sort of animal fur tied to it like a flag. It was a marvel that the structure was still standing. A rectangular area covered with several deerskins patched together marked the entrance of the hut.

Frostbite did not think it was likely that Canary was waiting inside, but he decided to go in anyway. He felt vulnerable sitting outside where anyone could see him. Canary was bound to come find him eventually. Frostbite could tell that she was a very busy dragon, so she was probably just finishing something up.

As the curious IceWing lifted the makeshift cover, he realized that the room looked even smaller from the inside- even smaller than his cave home. Lazily crafted spears were leaned up against the walls and left on the floor, a table covered in scrolls that had not been rolled up neatly resided on the far end of the building, and a giant wooden post stood in the very middle, holding up the unusual structure. The ground had not transitioned from the same dry dirt that could be found outside. Not so much as a rug could be bothered to cover it up. What did cover the floor, however, were pieces of metal armor scattered about. A chest plate here, a gauntlet there, and so on.

Frostbite decided that a sturdy metal helmet with holes for eyes and nostrils might be worth trying on. Sadly, it did not seem to be designed for IceWing heads, as it tried to force his many spikes to lay flatter than what they could achieve without snapping off. Oh well, it was much too big for him anyway.

His eyes soon drifted toward a rolled out scroll hung on the wall just beside the opening. Although the room was not lit, Frostbite was able to tell that the scroll displayed the map of Pyrrhia. He had only seen it once before when he went to Thunderstorm's house while his father was away.

The continent that he lived on was remarkably dragon-shaped. Its wings were spread, adding a lot of land and, according to the drawing, housing most of the world's mountains while the end of the tail was broken up to form a chain of islands. Frostbite had no idea which kind of dragon Pyrrhia was supposed to resemble or where he was on the map, but he liked to believe he was somewhere on the head. It seemed so cool there.

Near three of the corners of the map, three sea monsters had been illustrated. Two of them appeared serpent-like while the other one looked like nothing Frostbite had never seen before. It had a round head with long, flexible appendages. He did not know if any of the colossal creatures were real or not, but he hoped that he would never find out.

In the top right corner rested a picture of a dragon surrounded by four symbols that looked very similar to the ones he had seen in the scroll Amber gave him. Frostbite had to assume that this picture was not real, though. He had never seen a giant dragon floating over Pyrrhia followed by the symbols.

He quickly grew bored of staring at the map and looked around the room for any other items of interest. Although he had not been there very long, the area grew cold. The stone walls did not do a very good job of keeping the temperature out.

A rolled-up scroll atop the mound of other scrolls quickly grabbed Frostbite's attention. He did not recall seeing it there before, but its thin shape and whiter color stood out like shiny coin amidst dim stones. Slowly, the curious IceWing reached for it and brought it down from the tower. Upon examining it closer, he realized that its edges were nearly perfect and not wrinkled at all. It must have been made of a different, more durable material than other scrolls. A thin piece of thread tied neatly around it helped it maintain its rolled-up form.

Either way, Frostbite had to know what was inside, even though he knew he would never be able to replace the elegant knot. Maybe Canary would not notice.

Letting his curiosity get the best of him, Frostbite took one of his sharp talons and cut through the string with ease. Carefully, he began to unravel the scroll. He made sure not to damage it in any way, even though it seemed resistant to tearing.

The scroll was much shorter than he had thought initially, but the few words written in black ink contained information that would change his life forever- a secret that might have made him pass out on the spot if only he were able to read. To him, it was just the same as any other scroll, just written on fancier material.

Frostbite had been so preoccupied with revealing the secrets of the scroll, he just barely noticed the captain of the SkyWing guard march into the hut.

"Oh, Frostbite! There you are," the great Captain Canary exclaimed happily.

The surprised IceWing's head shot up immediately to meet Canary's gaze. The sun setting from behind her made her vibrant, golden scales shine even more beautifully, enough to blind any dragon who did not have natural eye protection. In her left claw, she held a large, gray squirrel by the tail.

"Sorry I'm late, I just thought you might be hungry, so I caught some food for you." She frowned at the animal she was carrying. "It just took a bit longer than I anticipated."

"Oh, thank you," Frostbite said politely. Although he did not feel the urge to eat, refusing the gift seemed rude. However, if he reached over to grab the squirrel, it might bring Canary's attention to the scroll he was trying to conceal in his other claw. Turns out he did not need to decide, Canary noticed first.

"Hey, what's that you're reading?" she asked intently.

Frostbite's spikes stood up in surprise.

"Oh, uh… I'm not exactly sure," he explained as he held the scroll out in front of him. Surely Canary would forgive him for picking up such an interesting item while he was waiting for her to arrive.

The SkyWing captain took the scroll from him gently and began to examine it. As the scroll unraveled, her face quickly changed from cheerfulness to shock, and finally to a grim expression. In an act of rage, she promptly shot a plume of flame into the white scroll, which quickly burned away to nothingness. Her golden eyes narrowed, staring directly at Frostbite.

"Frostbite," Canary commanded in her usual sharp tone, "I'm going to have to ask you to come with me."

"Huh? What did I do? Was there something important on the scroll?" the panicking IceWing questioned as all the spikes on his body stood taller than they ever had before.

Quicker than a snake lunging at a helpless mouse, Canary reached for the metal helmet on the floor and used it to smack the side of Frostbite's head, the cold metal causing him to slide into the stone wall with all the spears propped up against them. He heard a loud cracking noise, but he could not tell if it came from one of the spears breaking or one of his bones snapping. The last thing he saw with his blurred vision with Canary sighing in disappointment and shaking her head.

"Out of all the scrolls…" he heard her muttering before everything faded to black and he lost consciousness once again.


	14. Chapter 13

**\- Chapter 13 -**

"Why don't you just kill him now?" a harsh voice asked furiously to no one in particular. The depth of the sound indicated that it came from a male- a male whose tone sounded similar to Nimbus'.

Frostbite was not entirely sure if he was still unconscious or not. He was, however, self-aware enough to realize that this was the second time he had passed out in only a few days.

Ever since the captain of the SkyWing guard had made him unconscious against the hard wall of the stone hut, the scene had been repeating itself in his head, the pain on his head and the entire right side of his body growing more unbearable each time he saw Canary grab the sturdy steel helmet. It was like being thrown into a pile of sharp stones and being left there to die.

Even though he felt immensely wounded, Frostbite couldn't help but see the irony of the situation. Helmets are supposed to protect heads, not harm them. Although his skull ached, he didn't have a headache.

Being able to control his thoughts was a good sign that he was close to waking up, but sadly, he came to realize that the pain he felt went further than just his imagination. All he could do was hope that his wings had not been broken. He knew how fragile wing bones were, and if they shattered, it wasn't unlikely that they would never fully heal.

"I'm not going to kill him, Sparrow," a familiar voice hissed. It belonged to none other than the infamous Captain Canary. "And he didn't do anything wrong. Dragonets are supposed to be curious. Besides, he looks kind of cute when he's sleeping."

 _She's talking about me,_ Frostbite realized with fright. _But she doesn't seem as angry as she did when she burned that weird scroll. But whatever was on the scroll got me into trouble, and now I'm… Where am I?_

He tried to open his eyes, but he saw nothing, nothing but darkness.

Trying to move around seemed like a good idea, but the agony in his side disagreed. Wherever he was, it felt really cold and damp. Besides the two dragons talking, the only sound Frostbite could hear was rushing water coming from… overhead?

 _I must be somewhere beneath the Diamond Spray River! Maybe there's a cave that leads below it._

"He looks like he jumped off a cliff without knowing how to fly. I mean, look at his face," the male voice spoke again. "If that blow you gave him wasn't enough to kill him, he's going to wish it was when he wakes up."

Frostbite realized that the male must be the dragon Canary was referring to as 'Sparrow.' He decided that he disliked Sparrow. Sparrow wanted him dead, but Frostbite did not know why.

"Let me make one thing clear," Canary barked. "You're lucky that you're not the one chained up down here for leaving your orders out where anyone could see them! Now he has to suffer as the result of your idiotic actions!"

 _Chains? Am I in a prison? If I am, I can't be at the Sky Palace. I wouldn't be able to hear the river from inside, and besides, Canary would have had to carry me all the way there. Maybe there's a hidden dungeon beneath the guard camp. And what's going on with the 'orders' Canary is talking about? Did I look at some secret war-related information? If that's true, then all I need to do is tell her that I can't read, and she'll let me out, right? I suppose I should also hope I wasn't injured too badly._

The wounded IceWing considered trying to see if he could stand, but decided to keep still.

If Canary knew he was awake, she would probably stop talking in his presence. Frostbite needed all the information he could get. He still couldn't see anything, but it didn't make sense for the two SkyWings to talk in a room without any light whatsoever.

 _Maybe my eyes are still trying to adjust to the room,_ he reasoned. _I really hope being hit in the head with a helmet isn't enough to make a dragon blind. Canary's a lot stronger than I thought. Either that, or I'm just weak. Probably both._

"Actually, you were lucky when I let you keep your life after you failed me the first time," the SkyWing captain growled. "Just… just go back to your little town in the desert before I decide you're not allowed to live. I always knew you were better off dead, but I never had any interest in helping you."

The room began to fill with the toxic aroma of smoke. Either someone started a fire very nearby, or one of the SkyWings in the room was very frustrated.

"Fine," Sparrow spat eventually. "But don't ask me to do your dirty work for you anymore. I only helped you because it's what Mother would've wanted. I don't kill dragons who don't deserve to die."

"Try telling that to Breeze," Canary teased him.

 _Breeze? How do they know about her? Nimbus said that he never told anyone else about her. He also said she was killed by IceWings… But what if it was all set up so Nimbus would think that's what happened. That still doesn't make any sense! Why would Sparrow kill her? She was too young to be harmful… kind of like me. Well, I can kind of understand why the SkyWings would want me dead, but what did Breeze ever do? Argh! I can't think with all this smoke in the air._

"I'll have you know that she didn't die until… Nevermind."

The smoke collecting in such a confined area quickly became too overwhelming for Frostbite to handle. He tried to open his mouth and cough, but something was keeping it closed.

Air is crucial for most dragons to survive, but collecting enough of it in a smoke-filled room proved to be too difficult with just the use of nostrils.

Upon lifting his claws to find out what was stuck on his snout, his talons met a cold metal object. A shackle of some sort was keeping it clamped shut.

In panic, Frostbite tried to use every other part of his body to get Canary's attention. She wouldn't let him die. Otherwise, she wouldn't have told Sparrow that she wanted him alive.

His attempt to stand up was halted by a distinct clinking sound and a tremendous weight in his lower torso. All he managed to do was flail his tail around in the air like a worm trying to escape the beak of a robin.

"Oh, moons, look at him," Sparrow remarked without much expression. "Guess he was strong enough to survive after all, and he's got lots of energy. I must admit, I thought you put him in a coma, but maybe you're not strong enough to do that."

"You _idiot_!" Canary roared. "The only one here with fractures in their skull is you! He can't breathe with all the smoke you put in here! Make yourself at least somewhat useful today and go open the trapdoor!"

The sound of claws scraping on stone and a loud creaking noise followed the SkyWing captain's command. The smoke quickly left the room, but Frostbite still needed more air to breathe comfortably again.

 _How can Canary see down here? I still can't see anything but darkness_ , is what he would have thought if not for the fact that he was preoccupied with choking.

"Come on, just let him suffocate," Sparrow suggested. The calmness in his voice indicated that he saw no problems with that idea. "Do you really want to come down here to feed him every day? He's not a pet, Canary, and even if he was, you'd get bored of him pretty fast."

"Shut up," Canary hissed as Frostbite felt talons grab the metal object on his face. "He can hear you, you know. Even though he looks like just an ordinary IceWing, he has feelings, too. It just makes me sick how that wretched SkyWing got him tangled in this mess that has nothing to do with him."

A few creaking and clicking noises later, Frostbite could gasp for air with his mouth.

As he continued coughing and sputtering, Sparrow decided this was the perfect time for his input. "I don't think taking off that chain was a good idea. Even though he's injured, he can still try to use his frost breath on you."

"He may not be the smartest IceWing I've ever met, but he's not stupid enough to think that he can attack me and stay alive," Canary stated confidently.

"Fine," the other SkyWing huffed. "I'm getting out of here, so don't expect me to help when you come running out with half your face frozen off."

Captain Canary ignored him and focused her attention on Frostbite, tilting his head upwards with one claw as he kept breathing heavily.

"Thank… you," he panted. If his cold breath was enough to chill the SkyWing captain, he'd never know because she didn't complain about it.

"See that, Sparrow?" Canary called after the departing SkyWing. "Even though you nearly killed him, he still has manners. You could learn a thing or two from him." She turned her voice back to Frostbite. "I'm so sorry about that, darling. Sparrow here is a halfwit who forgot that you need air to survive."

"He made it sound like he… wanted to… kill me," Frostbite coughed, gasping between his words.

He had about a million questions for her but decided to start with one she might actually answer. "Why can't I… see anything?" As much as he wanted to ask about Breeze, he decided that it wasn't as crucial for his survival. Canary didn't know he'd heard them talking about her, so bringing it up could make her furious.

"I'm afraid to tell you that you've gone blind, dear," Canary answered tenderly. She began playing with the spikes on his head, pressing her talons against them and trying to force them to lie down.

"What?" Frostbite cried.

 _Blind? I can't be blind now! Not at a time like this! I need to find out what's going on!_

He tried to stand in his distress, but the weight on his torso and excruciating pain in his right leg prevented him from getting even a few inches off the ground.

"Oh, calm down, I was just kidding," the deceitful SkyWing laughed. "You have a blindfold on. By the way, have you _seen_ your face? You should put some _ice_ on that!"

Much to her disappointment, Frostbite did not find her humor amusing. He tried to give her a solemn expression as best he could without the use of his eyes.

"Sorry, I was just trying to lighten the mood," Canary said sheepishly. "I shouldn't be making jokes, you're probably really scared and confused right now. I have to admit, you're not freaking out nearly as much as I thought you would. You're a lot braver than you look."

"That's nice and all," the blindfolded IceWing assured her, "but do you think you could take the blindfold off me now?"

"Alright, but I think it looks _dashing_ on you. Oh, just so you know, you could've taken it off whenever you wanted to. I don't have your talons bound to anything."

As soon as Canary's talons lifted the black cloth covering his eyes, light flooded Frostbite's vision. He found himself to be in a relatively large room, at least twice the size of the cave where he slept.

The walls gave the area a rectangular shape, its corners far enough from the light to let shadows grow. Bricks carved from stone made up most of the enclosure, age presenting many of them with cracks or a sickly shade of green.

The room was tall, appearing high enough for most dragons to stand on their back legs without hitting their heads.

The ceiling was composed mostly of compact dirt and plant roots. A small hole in the natural cover provided the room with a few rays of sunlight and an endless stream of water dripping down onto a small patch of dirt with low grass growing out of it, uncovered by the stone.

Other than the sunlight, Frostbite could not see any other sources of light. Not so much as a torch adorned the ancient walls.

On the other side of the room, a smooth stairway leading up to a trapdoor made of steel seemed like the only exit.

"This… this is a dungeon," he noted grimly. "Wait, you're not going to torture me, are you?"

Canary shifted her head back. Apparently, she seemed appalled by the idea.

"Oh, moons, no!" the SkyWing captain clarified. "Everyone knows you only torture dragons you want information from or dragons you're using to set an example. Don't worry though, neither of those apply to you. Besides, you look like you've been through enough already."

Although her words weren't exactly comforting, Frostbite found solace in knowing that she didn't intend to harm him further.

The frightened IceWing decided to turn his head to see if the torment he felt had a visible source, but was surprised to see a giant, greenish-blue shackle with a rectangular design carved into it secured to his lower body. A thick, short chain attached to the artifact lead to a holding point on the wall. He realized that the object must have been what made him feel so heavy when he tried to get up.

Other than that, he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary- not even any cuts or dry blood until his eyes fell upon his wing.

It appeared horribly disfigured, looking much like a tree that had fallen over after being struck by lightning. The place where his wing should have met his body seemed to be bent downward, causing the rest of the wing to fold beneath him. While not looking nearly as bad as Nimbus' after the boulder incident, Frostbite couldn't bear to look at it.

He tried to make it move, but quickly abandoned the idea that it was still functional after a torturous feeling spread throughout it entirely.

" _Ack_!" the wounded IceWing yelped with surprise. "My wing! What happened to it? It hurts too much to even move it."

"Is it really that bad?" Canary asked. Her tone made it seem like she was truly concerned. "I'm _really_ sorry, Frostbite. I shouldn't have used so much force to get you here. I was just infuriated by Sparrow's incompetence, and I guess I took it out on you."

Frostbite turned to look at her. In her golden, sunset-colored eyes, he saw real guilt and even shame.

"Wait, you can fix it, right? I can't imagine never being able to fly again," he decided with worry in his voice.

"Oh, you won't have to worry about that," Canary assured him in a strangely suspicious way. "But, I'll have to get a better look at it. Here, let me get that shackle off of you so you can try to get off of your wing. Again, I'm sorry that we had to chain you up and blindfold you and all that nonsense. I know you're not dangerous, but Sparrow would never let me hear the end of it if I didn't."

She took her talons off of Frostbite's head and moved behind him. Reaching into the pouch on her chest and pulling out an old-looking key, Canary inserted it into the shackle keeping him bound to the wall. Finally, it snapped open and released Frostbite from its iron grasp.

" _Phew_ , I was worried that it might've gotten stuck," the SkyWing captain admitted nervously. "These things have been around since before I hatched. Probably before my parents hatched, too. I know that this was kind of a weird way to chain you, but you're just so small that there wasn't anything down here that fit properly. The one you were wearing was actually designed for the neck of a much larger dragon."

"Oh, well, thanks for unchaining me," Frostbite chirped.

Canary turned to him, gave him a puzzled expression, then let out a sigh.

"Frostbite… it's ok. You don't have to pretend to like me. I know you read the scroll, and I know I caused you a lot of pain. I would be devastated if someone did to me what I've done to you, but you don't understand. You wouldn't understand even if I explained why, but you should know that _she_ is the real monster here, not I. I'm sure you realize that Sparrow lacks the intelligence to follow basic commands, and that's why things ended up worse than I could have imagined." Her voice quickly grew furious. "But she… _She_ took my future away, and she knew exactly what she was doing when she stole the love of my life." Canary started breathing heavily, but she still managed to maintain a rational expression.

"Three moons! What are you talking about?" Frostbite questioned as he started flicking his tail back and forth. "I feel like even if I _did_ read the scroll, I'd still have no idea what's happening. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention this, but I can't read."

"You… can't?" Canary whispered. Suddenly, her tone grew more powerful. "Aha! I should've known. Amber doesn't even care enough to educate her own dragonets."

"Hey, that's not true," Frostbite objected. "Amber loves Topaz and I, but she never has time to teach us anything because of all the work you give her. Look, I'm sorry I thought it would be a good idea to peek at your scroll, but I still have no idea what was written on it. Can I please go home now?"

The SkyWing captain started laughing. Apparently, she found something humorous enough in the whole ordeal to make her cackle louder until her sharp tone started piercing the disturbed IceWing's ears.

"I knew that you'd be confused when I brought you down here, but I didn't expect you to be completely _clueless_!"

After chuckling for a few more seconds, Canary managed to calm herself down.

"So you really don't understand any of this?"

"No, not at all," Frostbite informed her. "You're kinda starting to scare me."

"Ah, of course you wouldn't. You just wanted to come here and tell me about something, and next thing you know, you're stuck in a dungeon with a possibly broken wing. Oh, that reminds me! What did you want to talk to me about?"

She slithered up beside him and gently placed her talons on his forehead. Usually, Frostbite liked being touched, but not by dragons who had made him pass out once already.

"Well, I _was_ going to tell you that someone was trying to kill me, but right now, that seems like the least of my problems."

"Someone tried to _kill_ you?" the SkyWing captain questioned. Her face presented him with shock and worry as she pulled his head against her chest, holding him in a defensive position. "I simply cannot allow that. Worry not, I won't let anyone lay a talon on you as long as you're here with me. Do you know who it was? I want to see their head impaled on one of those spikes I have outside.

 _So that's what those wooden things at the guard camp are for._

"I don't know exactly who it was, but I do know that they had bright red scales. Also, I'm pretty sure that they're the dragon who rolled that boulder down at Amber and I in the mountains. If Nimbus hadn't protected us, we would've died. He… he gave his life for us."

"Oh, darling," Canary whispered gently, "that was just Sparrow, who I previously mentioned lives with only half a brain. Even so, he wasn't trying to kill you, and he wasn't trying to kill Nimbus either. If you read the scroll, you would have known that it was my orders to him to assassinate Amber… but he failed. That's why you never send a male to do a job that requires even basic thinking."

Frostbite was too taken aback to recognize the insult. " _What_?" the mortified IceWing screamed as he broke away from Canary's talons and sprinted to the far side of the room, hiding in one of the corners as if its darkness would conceal his presence. His defective wing dangled beneath him as he ran, causing him more agony with each step.

He would've ran toward the trapdoor, but he was sure Canary would stop him and maybe hurt him even more.

"You… you _killed_ Nimbus!"

Frostbite couldn't believe what he was hearing. This all seemed too horrific to be real, like a nightmare.

 _Maybe I'm still asleep from when Canary knocked me out. Or better yet, I'm still sleeping in the woods with Nimbus, and everything that's happened since then isn't real._

Deep inside, he knew the emotions and pain he felt were much more than a dream. His wing began to feel intensely sore. It was aching enough to distract him from the other pains he felt.

"This is more of the reaction I thought you would have after you woke up," Canary mentioned. She began walking toward him slowly. Frostbite couldn't see any malice in her warm eyes. Sorrow was the only story they told. "Those results were accidental. I already told you that our goal was to eliminate Amber."

"That's not any better!" Frostbite objected. The spikes all over his body were propped up, but did nothing to deter the gradually approaching SkyWing. "My family is more important to me than anything else! Why did you try to kill my mother?"

"I'll explain everything to you later, but now I think you need some time alone," Captain Canary decided. "Are you hungry?"

Frostbite wasn't sure when the last time he ate was, but he felt sick to his stomach. Anything he tried to force down would just come back up. He shook his head.

"Alright, but I need you to do me a favor before I go. Follow me."

As reluctant as Frostbite was to do anything for the scandalous SkyWing, he figured that angering her was more likely to put his life at risk.

Canary turned toward the worn stone steps that lead up to the steel trapdoor. Its surface had no specific design, but looked just as rough and rocky as the dungeon's walls.

She lifted the door and crawled outside, letting Frostbite catch a quick glance at the clouds in the blue sky before she slammed it closed behind her.

As he waited for her instructions, the sound of two rocks grinding against each other came from overhead.

"Ok!" Canary's muffled voice called. "Try to lift the door!"

Frostbite placed his claws beneath the cold metal object and gave it a push. It wouldn't budge. Even when he lifted with all of his might, the door wouldn't even give an inch.

"I can't!" he called back to her.

"Good! I'll be back before sundown! If you get thirsty, you can drink the water dripping from the ceiling! Don't worry, it comes directly from the river!"

"Wait!" Frostbite cried, hoping that Canary hadn't already left. "When are you going to let me out of here?"

The SkyWing captain remained silent for a moment, then responded quietly with one word. Even though she hadn't spoken loud enough to be heard clearly, he knew exactly what she was trying to say.

"Never."

If Frostbite ever wanted to see the moons again, he was going to have to escape.


	15. Chapter 14

**\- Chapter 14 -**

 _I can't be stuck down here forever! Topaz made me promise to come back! She won't forgive me for this- if only she knew what happened. I should have listened to her and stayed home. Sure, Canary probably would've been mad if I didn't come, but I don't think she would've locked me in some cold, ancient dungeon! What if she tries to kill Mother again? I won't be able to stop her- not that I'd be much help anyway, but I could at least warn her! I'm the only one who might be able to save her! I need to get out of here as soon as possible! How long have I been away?_

Frostbite turned his head up toward the hole in the ceiling. Water along with the light of the sun continued to trickle through it, giving him a relative idea of the time.

 _I left at sunset, and now it looks like midday. The sun wouldn't stop setting and go back up, so I must have been here all night- maybe even longer… Oh, moons! Mother must be worried sick about me! I doubt that Canary told her I'm here, but I just want her to know that I'm safe. Well, kind of safe._

 _What if she thinks I ran away? What if she thinks that Sparrow killed me? Topaz would be able to tell her where I went even if Canary doesn't say anything, but there's no way they could find me underground._

 _Poor Topaz, she must feel awful for not coming along to make sure I would be ok. I'm glad she didn't, though. Canary would've stuck her down here, too, or maybe done something even worse._

 _I know my sister. She won't rest until she has some sort of clue about where I went. As much as I admire her determination, it might get her into trouble with Canary… But what if- what if she finds me? She could help me escape, and then we could protect Mother somehow, and then we could hide somewhere until the war is over, and then… No, this isn't like one of those stories Mother used to tell me when I was just a hatchling._

The imprisoned IceWing could vividly remember what life was like when he was younger.

Every day was the same. He'd hide inside the cave until Amber came home and told him stories about her day. Nothing made her look happier than returning after a long shift and seeing his smiling face.

Although he knew Amber would always be there for him, he began to feel lonely while she was away. Surely there was more to life than waiting his days away, then only spending a few hours with his favorite dragon before she fell asleep.

But one day, Topaz came along, and everything was different.

The golden dragonet finally gave him purpose. Young Frostbite promised to make sure that she was safe and fed while their mother was away. To him, she was like a living treasure. Although Topaz didn't seem particularly fond of her IceWing brother at first, she eventually grew tolerant of his icy scales.

Frostbite hoped that they could be friends from the moment she hatched. He wasn't worried in the slightest about competing for Amber's affection. After all, every dragonet deserves to be loved by their mother.

Tragically, Thunderstorm's mother departed from his life at a very young age, leaving him to wander Diamond Spray Town alone while his father searched for work.

The curious dragonet stumbled upon Frostbite's cave while looking for adventure, but thankfully, the two of them became quick friends, becoming more like siblings with each passing day.

Thunderstorm promised not to tell anyone that Frostbite was living there. He wasn't going to let anybody take him away now that neither of them had to feel quite so lonely.

Frostbite had made many fond memories with his sister and his best friend.

 _But if I ever want to make any more, I need to stop reminiscing and look for a way out of here._

The walls seemed like a good place to start. Perhaps someone put a hidden tunnel or contraption behind one of the bricks in case they got stuck underground accidentally.

Frostbite ran his claws through the moss, searching for any secrets that the old stones might conceal. No crack remained unexamined apart from the ones that were far out of reach.

Even while standing on his hind legs, Frostbite couldn't feel the bricks that stacked higher than the ceiling of his home. The small IceWing decided that no sane dragon would hide secrets up that high anyway.

Each time Frostbite stuck his talons into one of the many fractures on the wall, he prayed to the moons that no scary-looking bugs would come darting out at him.

Although the structure was older than any he'd ever seen, it had been kept quite sanitary.

 _How many years has this place been around?_ Frostbite wondered. And more importantly, _How many dragons have died down here?_

Other than the occasional patch of moss, the floor seemed devoid of anything suspicious. Not so much as a drop of blood stained the stone tiles. If there was ever a time in which the room smelled like death, the odor had completely vanished, possibly slipping away through the hole in the roof.

Eventually, Frostbite came upon a stone that looked especially degraded. It stood out among the rest, meeting him at eye level as if it had been placed there specifically to grab his attention. Cracks and crevices made it seem more like several fragments of rock rather than a single brick. Moss that flourished from its sides seemed to be the only thing holding the object together.

Without a second thought, Frostbite reached out for it, examining its unusual formation. It felt loose, as if it could slip right out of the wall if it were pulled. Sure enough, it broke free without struggle as soon as the curious IceWing wrapped his talons around its fragile edges.

Frostbite hadn't expected the stone to move so easily, therefore, it slipped through his claws just as easily as it had left the wall. An explosion of dust followed as the brick fell to the floor and shattered, making him sneeze and exhale a small amount of frost from his nostrils.

As he waited for the debris to subside, Frostbite's heart started racing.

 _Did I find a way out already? What if the entire wall comes away and reveals a secret tunnel? What if it leads even deeper down? Am I ready to go somewhere no dragon has gone in possibly hundreds of years?_

After a few tense moments, the particles finally settled on the floor and cleared his vision, revealing the unmistakable sight of… hard dirt.

Much to his disappointment, Frostbite hadn't unearthed some ancient secret. Rather, he discovered an architectural flaw in a building that purposed nothing more than an improvised holding cell.

The brick had simply deteriorated until it became misshapen enough to be easily removed. Now, Frostbite had to deal with a rectangular hole in the wall that Canary would definitely notice.

Although it was unlikely that the SkyWing captain would care about the damage done to the ancient structure, she would know that he tried to escape and might punish him for it.

Frostbite disliked the idea of being forced to dress in chains again, so he decided that he would have to search harder. However, a chilling thought interrupted his hunt for anything of use.

 _Even if I do manage to find a way to the surface, what will I do then? I need to make sure Mother is safe, but how can I get back home if I can't fly? It wouldn't be too hard just to walk down the river back to Diamond Spray Town, but now there will be SkyWings patrolling the area. They'll capture me on sight, especially since I won't be able to fly away. Even if I could, they'd catch me pretty easily. They're SkyWings, flying fast is what they're known for._

The idea of trying to outrun a SkyWing guard wasn't too keen on Frostbite, but he decided that the true first step to gaining his freedom was fixing his wing. Besides, it seemed more practical than staring at the grim walls for the third time over, and the endless stream of pain his wing continued to provide him wasn't helping with his concentration.

 _Without being able to fly, can I really be called a dragon? Even if I can, I probably can't be an Ice-Wing anymore. Nope, now I'm just 'Frostbite the Ice.'_

The wounded IceWing would've laughed at his own joke if not for the sense of hopelessness continually looming over him.

While looking for a comfortable place to lie down, Frostbite's eyes kept drifting back to the patch of grass beneath the water dripping from above. Although he would've preferred his soft bed over the mound of sod, the only alternative was hard stone.

Reluctantly, he lowered himself to the ground as the cold fluid fell and dispersed over his scales with an endless pattering sound.

 _Pat, pat, pat, pat, pat._

The sight of clear water made Frostbite realize just how thirsty he was. After all, he hadn't had anything to drink since he went to meet Canary. He tilted his head up and let the refreshing liquid fall down his throat.

Thankfully, the clean taste of water indicated that the SkyWing captain was telling the truth when she said it came from the river.

As the clear stream continued to descend, Frostbite hoped that it might be able to numb the pain on his side just a little. The moist grass tickled his underbelly as he spread himself over the floor, opening his functional wing to take up as much space as possible even though the sod couldn't fit him entirely unless he curled himself up.

Although it no longer felt agonizing, Frostbite still couldn't control his broken wing. Even when he focused all of his will power on movement, it still wouldn't budge.

Upon swiveling his head to examine it further, he came to the conclusion that it wasn't nearly as damaged as he had originally thought.

The membrane was still completely intact, not a single hole dared to puncture its blindingly blue surface, and none of the bones looked fractured. It seemed almost unharmed. The only visible problem was that it looked like it was in the wrong location.

Maybe, just maybe he could fix it himself.

Frostbite rolled onto his back and pulled his wing over his chest with his talons. The sharp wingtip nearly scratched his chin, but couldn't go any further than the base of his neck. Long wing bones that protruded from the bottom overlapped with his legs and ended up between them.

All Frostbite managed to do before realizing that he was probably making things worse was wrap the wing around himself like a blanket.

The disappointed IceWing leaned his head back to the hard floor and groaned in defeat. He had no choice but to trust Canary to fix it for him, even though he didn't want to let her anywhere near his wing again.

* * *

Frostbite was still trying to wrap his head around why Canary had tried to kill Amber, or why she needed to lock him down here. She'd told him everything so fast, and he was pretty sure that there was still lots of things she didn't say.

From what he could fathom from her psychotic babbling, Canary wanted Amber dead because Nimbus fell in love with the orange SkyWing rather than herself, so she sent Sparrow to try to kill Amber for her.

That still left a lot of things unclear.

 _Why did she think that trying to kill Mother would help with anything? Was she hoping that Nimbus would fall in love with her after Mother was gone, or was she just doing it for revenge? If she really wanted Amber dead, then why did she wait until Nimbus came home before she tried to kill her? Now that Nimbus is gone, will Canary try to kill her again? And why did she send Sparrow to try and kill Mother instead of doing it herself? She made a pretty big deal of telling me how not-smart Sparrow is, so why did she trust him to get the job done?_

An even more frightening idea made its way into his skull. _Is love really strong enough to make a dragon kill? I'm sure Nimbus would've killed to protect us, but that seems like a different type of love and a different kind of murder._

The more Frostbite thought about it, the more puzzling it became. He decided that he'd rather wait for Canary to come and tell him the truth like she said she would rather than ponder the events himself and come up with nothing but a headache.

Daydreaming was how he decided to spend his time waiting until the SkyWing captain returned. Even though searching for a way to escape was a far more productive thing to do, Frostbite wanted answers- answers that only Captain Canary would be able to give him. Also, he was tired.

As the sleepy IceWing stared up at the dirt ceiling, he began to think about his family.

Nothing sounded better than being wrapped in his mother's warm, gigantic wings as she whispered to him, "We're safe. You're going to be alright."

Honestly, Frostbite was more worried about his SkyWing mother than he was about himself. After all, she was likely in even more danger than he was.

Now, Frostbite finally understood why Canary was harder on her than anyone else despite her being the nicest SkyWing in the whole kingdom.

The troubled IceWing began to think about Nimbus, too.

 _What exactly happened to him? Did he become a ghost? I don't know much about ghosts- I don't even know if they exist or not. I think Mother told me that nice dragons get to go to a wonderful place when they die. I hope he's there now, although he's probably worried to death about us… I should have worded that differently._

 _Maybe Canary knows where dead dragons go. She seems like she's killed a lot of them… or maybe she hasn't. I mean, she did try to kill Amber, but she's keeping me alive. Perhaps she only kills when it's absolutely necessary. That would explain why she tried to get Nimbus and Mother to argue instead of immediately resorting to murder._

Frostbite wrinkled his snout. _I really should've learned by now not to give her the benefit of the doubt._

As he continued to stare lazily at the ceiling, Frostbite's eyes caught hold of something unusual.

A large, white root grew downward in the corner of the room on the opposite side of the stairs. It wouldn't have seemed out of the ordinary if not for its massive structure and bizarre spiraling pattern. It seemed to be about half as long as he was- excluding his tail, of course. Tinier roots extended from its side, making it look somewhat similar to a gigantic tree branch.

 _Maybe it's some sort of secret lever_ , Frostbite thought hopefully. He would have loved nothing more than to pull on it; however, it was only slightly closer to the ground than the hole overhead.

Frostbite already knew that he couldn't jump high enough to reach the hole. Even if he could, it was far too small for him to crawl through.

Seeing as he had nothing better to do, the curious IceWing decided that he might as well try his luck with the root.

Frostbite rolled onto his underbelly and pushed himself upwards. The sudden movement caused him to feel faint, as if he'd been completely frozen for half a second as the world continued normally. His talons scraped the cold floor as he made his way toward the unordinary root.

Although it seemed like a daunting task, Frostbite concluded that there were no real consequences for attempting to reach the white plant. In the worst-case scenario, all he could do was cause the roof to come cascading down upon him.

Finally, Frostbite lowered himself to a crouching position and sprang off of the ground with all of his strength. His broken wing served nothing more than a deadweight during his ascent, yet, he managed to snag the tip of the root with one claw.

As he dangled from the sturdy plant, Frostbite realized that is was much harder than most roots he'd seen before. Only the stems of trees matched the strength of the object from which he was hanging.

Despite the fact that Frostbite wasn't very strong, he had no issues supporting his small body with only one claw.

The root, however, struggled to hold both of them up. Before the IceWing dragonet could even begin to contemplate how a root-lever mechanism might work, the plant snapped, causing Frostbite to fall back down with the root in his talons.

Twisting his body to let his legs hit the ground, he managed to avoid landing on his injured wing. However, that didn't stop the onslaught of soil raining down upon him from above, coating his once bright scales with brown debris.

While the downpour didn't open a new chasm in the ceiling, there was enough dirt to make Frostbite look more like a MudWing than anything else.

He looked down at the thick root in his talons and sighed.

 _Guess this isn't the key to getting me out of here either. Oh well, I suppose I did want to get an explanation from Canary before I left, anyway. Still, the sooner I get out of here, the sooner I can help Mother. I really hope that I'm not too late._

Suddenly, Frostbite heard the same grinding noise he'd heard from above right after Canary went outside. Perhaps pulling the root accomplished something after all.

Frostbite turned his head just in time to watch the metal trapdoor swing open, revealing none other than the villainous Captain Canary.

The sky behind her appeared a warm shade of orange, indicating that the sun had begun its descent to an unknown land.

In Canary's polished ruby earrings, Frostbite could see the reflection of his dirt-covered face staring back at him. She held several items in her claws, including a small rug stitched together from four brown cowhides, a well-crafted wooden bowl filled to the top with the same pink berries found in the mountains, and most startling of all, a small shackle with a long, thin chain attached to it.

"Hello, Frostbite," she called while wearing an inconspicuous expression. She closed the door behind her with a loud _creak_ , walked down the stairs, then placed the three objects neatly on the floor before tilting her head up to meet the IceWing prisoner.

"Sorry I took so long. I flew around all day trying to find things for- Three moons," Canary exclaimed as she stared upon the mess that Frostbite created. "Just what have you been up to down here? Oh, never mind. I have a few surprises for you."

"That's a chain," Frostbite countered, staring at the small shackle. Apparently, she managed to find one that could fit him after all.

"Yes, well, I didn't say that they were all _good_ surprises. You look pretty surprised, so it still counts. Seriously though, don't worry about it. You'll hardly notice it. Hey, that's an interesting-looking root you're holding. Mind if I get a closer look at it?"

Canary began marching closer to him.

"Um, sure," Frostbite offered cautiously. "But please don't tell me you're going to chain me up again."

"Oh, lighten up," Canary chirped as she reached for the white root in Frostbite's claws. She ran her talons down the object, admiring the durability of the plant. "And wash yourself off while you're at it. I had that shackle made today just for you. If I were in your position, I would be honored. Also, I can tell from this mess you made that you were trying to escape. How rude."

Frostbite shuddered. He found the idea of a chain forged to fit him specifically quite unsettling.

"Hey, this is one of _those_ roots," Canary concluded excitedly. "I can't remember what they're called, but I do know that they're filled with nutrients." Gently, she tossed the plant back a Frostbite, who managed to block it with his talons before it smacked his face. "Go ahead and nibble on it- it's good for you."

Frostbite considered the idea for a moment, then decided that disobeying Canary probably wasn't the best plan of action.

Reluctantly, he scooped it off of the ground and sank his sharp teeth into the tip of the white root. Warm liquid seeped from the plant, entered his mouth, and immediately began attacking his taste buds with its sharp flavor.

"It's bitter!" Frostbite complained as he swallowed the repulsive fluid.

"That it is, Frostbite," the SkyWing captain confirmed. "But still, it's really healthy. Trust me, you get used to the taste after a while." She retrieved the root from Frostbite, carved a small piece off with her talons, and popped it in her mouth.

"Well, if you don't like it, I brought you some of those sweet berries from the Claws of the Clouds Mountains." The dissatisfied IceWing heard the plant squashing in Canary's mouth as she chewed. "I don't know what IceWings eat, but I figured fruit from a plant surrounded by snow was a safe bet."

Canary turned around to grab the smooth wooden bowl, then placed it in front of him. Frostbite eagerly reached for a clawfull of the spherical pink fruits, but the SkyWing captain interrupted him.

"Oh, you might not want to eat those yet," Canary informed him.

"Huh? Why not?" the ravenous IceWing wondered aloud as he released the cold, moist berries back into the container. He stared at them longingly, for he hadn't eaten anything all day besides the juices of the awful root, and was desperate for anything to replace the biting taste in his mouth.

She smiled at him wickedly, as if she took pleasure in tinkering with his emotions.

"Because I laced them with sedatives," Canary explained with a twinkle in her eye. "And you wouldn't want to fall asleep before I told you everything I have to say, would you?"

"Why in Pyrrhia did you put sedatives into the food?" Frostbite demanded. His voice seemed almost monotone. He couldn't think of anything else to add- he was utterly at a loss for words.

"Don't think of it as poison, think of it as an exotic seasoning," Canary suggested with enthusiasm. "I had Sparrow fly all the way to the Rain Kingdom to get them for you. Only the moons know what RainWings do in their spare time, but apparently, the whole 'sleeping all day' nonsense is just a myth."

"Ok, but why do you feel it's necessary to sedate me?" Frostbite asked nervously.

"Well, I figured that you'd get bored being by yourself all day, and no one seems bored in their sleep. If you get lonely, I'd be happy to throw Sparrow down here with you. Some time away from the outside world could do him some good."

Frostbite shook his head. Honestly, he just hoped that he'd never have to hear from Sparrow again.

"Fine," Canary huffed, somewhat disappointed that the witless SkyWing wouldn't be joining Frostbite in the dungeon. "Now, where were we? Ah, yes, this blanket here."

She reached for the rolled-up mat and spread the cow hide out along the floor next to the grass. The light brown fur looked soft and clean, but the stitching looked like it had been done in a hurry. The four hides weren't neatly aligned, causing the blanket to appear more like patchwork than a finished product. It seemed just long enough for Frostbite to lay comfortably on if he curled his tail toward his body.

"Sorry if it looks a little… rushed. I made it just for you, but it took longer than expected, and I couldn't imagine leaving you to sleep on nothing but the grass," the SkyWing captain explained. "Speaking of blankets, your broken wing there doesn't seem to be anything more than one at the moment."

Frostbite stared down at his wing wrapped around his chest and frowned. The pain still hadn't quite gone away.

"It's not as broken as I thought it was," he stated hopefully. "None of the bones are broken, so I was kind of hoping you could just… snap it back in place for me."

The SkyWing captain slowly walked over to him with a discouraged expression on her face and carefully placed a claw on the wounded IceWing's shoulder as if to comfort him.

"I'm sorry, Frostbite, but I've decided that I can't do that for you," she stated grimly.

"What? Why not?" Frostbite whined.

"It's quite simple, really. You don't need it down here, and you'd probably try to use it to escape. I left you down here without a chain on your body, and look what you did. If you had both of your wings, you could've made the whole room collapse on top of you. Nope, I don't think you're ready for the responsibility of two wings. By the way, your broken one isn't still hurting you, is it?" She spoke as if leaving him injured was the logical thing to do.

"It feels pretty sore," the disappointed IceWing sighed.

"Well, I'd be willing to chop it off for you if that's what you'd like," Canary offered as if it were a perfectly normal suggestion. "You're such a fragile little thing- it would probably come clean off. Of course, I'd also have to sever the membrane…"

" _No!_ " Frostbite shouted at her. The idea of never flying again was already too much for him, let alone losing his entire wing. "I mean, _please_ don't do that."

"Alright, less work for me, I guess. Although, continuing to let you suffer is a hard decision to make."

"Then how about you let me go?" Frostbite put in. "That would make me feel a whole lot better."

"Oh, darling, I can't release you now because that would interfere with my plans. Also, I've decided to share the details with you after all. That's partially because you deserve to at least know why I have to keep you down here, but honestly, I've been dying to discuss this with anyone besides Sparrow," Canary admitted excitedly. "It's already startling enough to know that he's related to me, but that numbskull just so happens to be my brother as well." She scowled as if disgusted by the words that slipped through her teeth. "Anyway, you may want to go lie down on the mat over there. We're going to be here for a while."

Frostbite did as he was told and stepped over to the cowhide blanket. Upon lowering himself down on it, he realized that it was remarkably soft. He felt as if he was lying on air. Someone had put a considerable amount of effort to make sure that the fur was as clean as possible. He always wanted a blanket like this one, though he wished to receive it under different circumstances.

"So, you're probably wondering about that miserable SkyWing you call 'Mother,'" Canary assumed with confidence. She slithered up to the cowhides and stood over Frostbite.

His eyes widened. He had completely forgotten to ask whether Amber was ok or not. Just as he was about to open his snout, the SkyWing captain interrupted him.

"Don't worry. I've decided not to kill her. Well, not yet anyway," she explained in a solemn tone.

Frostbite let out a breath of relief. As long as she was still alive, he still had a chance of seeing her again.

"I was unbelievably generous and gave her the day off. Not that it mattered- she spent all her time looking for you. You should have seen her face as she flapped around hopelessly, knowing that she couldn't tell anybody what she was looking for; thus, she had no one to help her."

Frostbite felt his heart sinking in his chest.

 _Of course Mother would try to find me. She probably thinks I was killed by the murderer I told her about. She didn't have the courage to stand up to Canary and tell her I was in danger yesterday. She won't ever forgive herself for that, especially now that she thinks it cost me my life._

"Ironically, that was the most amount of effort she's ever put into finding an IceWing in the Sky Kingdom," Canary noted. "If only she showed that amount of determination when she was doing her job. Then, I might understand what redeeming qualities Nimbus saw in her that made him fall in love." She flashed a sinister smile that sent shivers running down Frostbite's spine. "Though, I'm sure we both know that the real reason he ended up with Amber is that he wanted to give other dragons a chance with me. He's so noble. Of course, this isn't just about love. It's about power. The two of us would be unstoppable together. We'd be as close to royals as any ordinary SkyWing could ever dream of becoming!"

"Can't you just tell Amber that I'm ok?" the worried IceWing pleaded. "She probably thinks that I was killed!"

Canary let out a sharp laugh. "And ruin my fun? This is all part of my new plan. I'm sure you've figured out my original intentions- kill Amber and make Nimbus my own, but now, Nimbus is dead."

"Even if you succeeded, Nimbus would never want to be with a monster like you!" Frostbite desperately wanted to yell. Only his desire for self-preservation kept his teeth sealed.

"Incredible how I didn't snap Sparrow's neck after everything went wrong, but I decided that he had created the second-best outcome," the SkyWing captain concluded.

Frostbite was puzzled.

 _The whole point of the murder was to get Amber out of the way so Canary could be with Nimbus. Wouldn't his death defeat the whole purpose of the plan?_

"It's quite simple, really. If I can't be with Nimbus, nobody can! Now, I'm going to make that wretched SkyWing suffer! I'm going to make her life a nightmare just as she did to me!" Canary's manic screaming bounced off of the stone walls until Frostbite could barely handle the noise. She then tilted her head down at him. "And you're going to help me."

"What? I can't do that," Frostbite objected. "She raised me since I was a hatchling."

"Oh, Frostbite. I mean this in the kindest way possible, but you don't have a choice. To be honest, it surprises me that you still think she deserves to live after what she did to you seven years ago." The SkyWing captain's eyes drifted toward the sapphire earring that hung from Frostbite's head.

"I still have no idea what you're talking about. Amber would never do anything to harm me."

"Fine, then. Keep living in denial," Canary scoffed. "Anyway, your job is so simple even Sparrow could do it. All I need you to do is… wait here. I can tell that Amber likes you, which is why I need to keep you down here. She'll be _agonized_ knowing that you're gone. Nothing makes a Mother feel quite as much guilt, sorrow, and shame as losing her dragonets." She paused for a moment, as if she was feeling all of those emotions herself. "I should know- I let mine down before they even had a chance to exist."

"You're a maniac!" Frostbite accused her. "Amber- someone will stop you! You may be a guard captain, but there's no way you're allowed to kill other SkyWings!"

Canary stepped closer and loomed over him.

"I don't think you're in any position to be making threats," the Skying Captain assured him. "But enough about that. I'm going to let Amber suffer until she starts to get over your sudden 'disappearance.' _Then_ I'll kill her. I thought about taking Topaz away from her too, but I decided that losing her Mother should be the worst thing to ever happen to the young dragonet. I like her, she has spirit. She definitely didn't inherit that from Amber. She is Nimbus' daughter, after all, which basically makes her half mine," Canary reasoned.

"I don't think that's how it works," the unsettled IceWing stated. He began squirming around uncomfortably on the clean blanket.

Captain Canary carried on as if she hadn't heard him. "I'm going to raise her as my own for one final blow to Amber in the afterlife. She took everything away from me, so it's only fair that I do the same." She looked at Frostbite, a bizarre hope shining in her eyes. "Actually, once this is all over, you can come live with us too. You may think that I'm awful, but surely that beats rotting down here. All you have to do is promise me you won't tell your sister the truth. We can make up some story about what happened to you."

"No," Frostbite declared bravely. "A few days ago, I promised Topaz that I'd never lie to her again."

 _I also promised her that I'd come home, but it looks like that's not happening._

"Oh, whatever," Canary grunted. "I'll let you go after this anyway. It's not like any SkyWing you talk to about this is going to believe you or even care."

For a while, the two remained quiet. Frostbite couldn't hear anything but the river flowing above. He wanted to throw up. Canary had given him a lot of information to swallow, but he was full of fear.

"Well, I do believe I've told you everything I can. I'm trying to make this as clear as possible for you. Do you have any questions?" Canary eventually asked, breaking the silence.

Frostbite thought for a second, then spoke. "As much as I hate the sound of saying this, why didn't you try to kill Amber when Nimbus wasn't around? Wouldn't have it been much easier?"

"Because I didn't want to be petty," the SkyWing captain answered almost instantaneously. "I hate to admit it, but Amber stole his heart. I tried my hardest to understand and accept his decision, but when I saw them together after he had been away at war for so long, I… _argh!_ I just couldn't stand it any longer! I had to make a move. It was either then or never."

The uneasy IceWing swallowed hard. He had to admit that the answer made a lot of sense.

"Why did you send Sparrow to do the… work for you? You made it pretty clear he isn't the brightest."

Canary closed her eyes as if deep in thought. "Well, I certainly wasn't going to be the one to wait around Diamond Spray Town for the right opportunity. You know I can't stand it there. Even though he's an ignoramus, he's loyal. I figured that it was better him than me to be caught if things got out of claw. Thanks for giving him a chance by flying off to the mountains. He really needed the extra help."

Frostbite only grunted in response. He wasn't going to let anyone make him feel like the cause of Nimbus' death. Amber made it clear that he shouldn't.

"Anything else?" the SkyWing captain queried. "No? Then I think it's about time you ate these." Canary nudged the bowl of pink berries close to him with her tail. "That chain isn't going to put itself on, you know."

Frostbite eyed the wooden bowl nervously.

"But I-"

" _Eat_ ," she demanded.

The anxious IceWing let out a long sigh and grabbed about five berries in his talons. Reluctantly, he slipped them between his jaws. He would've loved their sweet, yet sour taste if not for the fact that he knew that the innocent-looking fruits would lead to further imprisonment.

"All of them," Canary ordered. "I don't want you to starve to death in your sleep. There will be another bowl waiting for you when you wake up. I would say I'm sorry for everything that's about to happen, but we both know that Amber deserves it. She's done us both wrong, and now's our time to take revenge." If Frostbite wasn't mistaken, her voice sounded almost joyful, or maybe it was just the sedatives taking effect.

As he emptied the rest of the bowl into his mouth, Frostbite wondered if Canary genuinely cared about him, or if she was just using him as part of her corrupt scheme. He decided that it didn't matter.

 _When I wake up, escape will be even more hopeless than before. I don't care that Canary's going to let me go if it means hurting my family in the process. All I can do is sleep and hope that this is all over quickly. If I'm awake, all I can do is worry and know I can't do anything about it._

Soon enough, the despaired IceWing felt unusually drowsy. Slowly, he lowered his head onto his talons as he let his spikes lay completely flat. He closed his eyes gently, trying to forget about the world.

He'd been separated from his friends. He'd been separated from his family. He'd been separated from hope. Whatever happened next was entirely within the talons of fate.


	16. Chapter 15

**\- Chapter 15 -**

Although everything changed just days ago, it felt like such a long time since all Frostbite wanted was to magically become a SkyWing, and all of his problems would be solved. No matter how much he desired that it could be a reality, he knew the idea was nothing more than a distant dream.

Even then, he never truly gave up hope that one day, his wishes would come true.

Now, getting his old life back seemed just as impossible as an ice dragon turning bright orange.

Even if Frostbite had been a SkyWing from the beginning of his life, Captain Canary's jealousy still would not have shifted. She still would've sent Sparrow to kill Amber, but without Frostbite leading them to the cold mountains, the murderous SkyWing would have likely succeeded in his task, one way or another.

In some strange way, Frostbite's decision to fly for the moons that night saved his mother's life- though only temporarily. Of course, if he had known that he was given the choice of who got to continue living, he couldn't have possibly come to a satisfying resolution.

Although Amber had raised him for his entire life, both SkyWings were a part of his family, and he would be devastated losing either one of them.

For the first time in his life, Frostbite felt absolutely hopeless. Nothing he could do would spare his family from the vengeful dragon's wrath. The hapless IceWing couldn't even save his own scales.

Frostbite wanted to blame himself for whatever was going to happen next, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see a reasonable path he could have taken that led to a considerably better outcome.

If he didn't try to read Canary's scroll, she still would have killed Amber, eventually, leaving both him and Topaz wondering where their mother went.

If he decided to fight back or run from the SkyWing captain, he would have been killed without a doubt.

Still, Frostbite couldn't shake the feeling of regret- the feeling that everything could have been so much better if only he had made the right choices. In reality, it would have taken a dragon with the foresight of a NightWing to guide him out of the situation.

The iniquitous Captain Canary granted Frostbite mercy and even agreed to release him from his ancient prison as soon as the ordeal was over, but without either of his SkyWing parents, where would he go?

Living with Canary was out of the question, no matter how badly he wanted to see Topaz again. Frostbite decided that letting his sister think he was dead was probably the best choice. That way, she would never need to know what happened. She could still be happy with the SkyWing captain- Canary would undoubtedly treat her like the daughter she never had and given her the life she always dreamed about, but Topaz could never feel safe if she knew the truth. Still, the thought of his younger sister calling the villainous SkyWing 'Mother' left a sour taste in Frostbite's mouth, even more disgusting than that of the white root.

Thunderstorm would definitely welcome him with open wings, but Frostbite couldn't stand to be anywhere near Diamond Spray Town as long as Captain Canary was still around. He couldn't ask the marigold SkyWing to run away with him, either. Living with an IceWing would put his life in far too much peril. Thunderstorm still had his father, but after this, Frostbite would have no one.

He'd have to decide what to do later. After all, it seemed like he had all the time in the world…

* * *

Opening his eyes from a dreamless sleep, the first thing Frostbite noticed was the unusual sensation tingling all throughout his body. His limbs were numb and sore- perhaps due to a side effect of the sedatives. He felt quite uncoordinated, as he'd never been without his sense of feeling before. For all he knew, the soft blanket he had been lying on previously could've been replaced with nothing but sharp stones.

To get a sense of direction, Frostbite looked to his left, then to his right.

Sure enough, he found himself within the same room he'd fallen asleep in, though much darker this time. Rather than sunbeams shining down from the ceiling to illuminate the area, a reflection of orange, flickering light bounced off of the stone tiles in front of him, leading the uneasy IceWing to believe that it's source came from behind. The soft glow was so dim that it couldn't even light the walls of the room, making it seem as if the hard floor stretched on forever.

The hole above provided only a few rays of moonlight, just enough to let him know that the opening hadn't been sealed.

Frostbite still wanted to believe that all of this was just a bad dream, but even though he knew it wasn't, he wouldn't hesitate to call his experience a nightmare.

Suddenly, all of Frostbite's nerves regained their bearings at once, causing the unfortunate IceWing to endure an overwhelming rush of senses.

The unexpected change left Frostbite too shocked to cry out in surprise. His joints stiffened as he felt the fur of the cow skin blanket brush against his underbelly and what seemed like a claw firmly grasped around his tail somewhat near the end.

Alongside the curved talons, Frostbite noticed an intense heat flaring near his tail's tip.

Instinctively, the frightened IceWing leaped to his claws and bolted away from the blistering warmth.

As he dashed to the far side of the room, Frostbite could hear the sound of metal clinking on the stone floor. Before an unseen wall could have an unpleasant meeting with his head, something caught hold of Frostbite's ankle and pulled him back.

He fell to the floor with a resounding _thud_ , then swiveled his neck to see what was holding onto his leg. Unsurprisingly, the same shackle Canary had shown him earlier was clamped around his scales. It fit him loosely, but not insecure enough for Frostbite to slip it off over his ankle.

The long chain that trailed off of the shackle connected with the wall behind him, securing itself next to the treacherous Captain Canary.

The light from the wooden torch she held out in front of her made her scales seem as if they were made of molten gold. She wore a concerned expression as her dark orange eyes gazed upon Frostbite.

"Oh, I'm sorry, darling," she stated innocently. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Three moons! Are you trying to set me on _fire_?" Frostbite called back. His eyes drifted to the tip of his tail. The large group of spines that collected there stuck out menacingly, warning anyone nearby that they could be used as a weapon if they needed to.

"No, of course not," the SkyWing captain clarified. "I was just, uh, experimenting. Well, actually, I just got bored of waiting for you to wake up so…"

"So you tried to burn me alive," the dissatisfied IceWing finished for her. "Hey, wait, why are you still here? I thought you put me to sleep so you could go off and do terrible things."

"I wasn't trying to _burn_ you, Frostbite," Canary insisted as she let out a sigh. "You know those spines you have all over your neck, back, and tail? Well, they're cold to the touch, and they look like icicles, and I was just trying to find out if they were really made of ice by… Well, I was trying to see if they'd melt."

"You could've just asked me," Frostbite objected. "And no, they don't."

"Right, sorry. I guess that's like asking a MudWing if they're really made of mud," Captain Canary realized as she lowered her torch. The light seemed like nothing more than an old stick with cloth wrapped around its tip set ablaze. "Anyway, I stuck around because I wanted to see how long the sedatives would last. It seems like half a vial was enough to keep a dragon of your size sleeping from sundown to midnight. How do you feel? Any side effects you'd like to report?"

"Well, I felt completely numb until I noticed you trying to _melt_ me," the IceWing dragonet confirmed irritatedly. "Why does it matter, anyway?"

"I figured that if I could find out more about how these things work, I could use them to help the SkyWings win the war," Canary stated boldly, lifting her head a little bit higher. "Supposedly, the RainWings use them for medical purposes. Wasted potential if you ask me. I may be a bit preoccupied with you and Amber, but I'm still a guard captain. I still owe my services to the Sky Kingdom."

Frostbite could feel burning rage building beneath his scales.

 _How can she still think of herself as a loyal SkyWing after all she's done? She made her priorities clear, and winning the war isn't on her list._

Full of spite, the enraged IceWing stood ready to accuse her.

"I don't know much about the rules that the queen has in place, but I'm sure you aren't allowed to kill other SkyWings! You… you're just a traitor!"

He paused, then braced himself. No matter what the SkyWing captain did to him, Frostbite knew that any act of retaliation against Canary was worth it. After all, he had nothing left to lose.

Much to Frostbite's surprise, Canary stared at him with not rage, but disappointment in her eyes.

"Really, Frostbite?" Canary sighed. "I think sheltering an IceWing in your home for six years is a much greater offense. Though, I suppose if I were truly loyal, I should have put Amber in her place long ago. Is that what you would've preferred?"

Frostbite's eyes widened. He hated to admit it, but she was right. If Canary had reported him to the queen, then both he and Amber would have been killed.

"That's what I thought," the SkyWing captain declared. "Look, I'm sorry that you're upset with me, but I'm doing what needs to be done. I don't want you to think that I don't like you. In another time we could've been friends. I was willing to raise you after I got Amber out of the way- I still am, if you'll accept my offer."

Frostbite remained silent.

"Keeping you alive is so time-consuming," the SkyWing captain admitted sheepishly. "But I'm not going to let you die. You don't deserve that, and honestly, you don't deserve this either. I'm trying to make this as pleasant as possible for you with the blanket and the berries so you can sleep until this is all over. Those sedatives aren't cheap, you know."

"If you wanted this to be pleasant, then why did you put a chain on my leg?" Frostbite wanted to argue, then decided not to. Canary seemed to have an answer for everything- an answer that usually left him feeling very dissatisfied.

"Alright, alright," Canary continued. "I can tell that you don't want to talk to me anymore. Well, I'll stop bothering you, then. I'll leave more berries here for you while you're asleep. If you ever need to talk to me, just don't eat them and wait until I come back." She let out a long yawn. "I'm growing rather tired. Farewell, Frostbite."

The IceWing dragonet fixed his eyes on Captain Canary as she walked passed the grass, up the stairs, and left through the trapdoor, taking the light with her. The familiar grinding noise followed soon after.

A single beam of moonlight pierced the darkness of the room, landing on the now full wooden bowl by the grass.

Frostbite stared at the round berries that reflected the moons' ghastly white colors and sighed.

* * *

Day in and day out, time flew like a SkyWing soldier heading out to war.

Much like when he was younger, Frostbite considered every day to be the same. He'd wake up, take a drink, eat the berries, then fall asleep. Metaphorically, the young IceWing was living what many considered to be the perfect life.

He had been sheltered from the war, but he couldn't stand the pain of being awake. Every second of consciousness filled him with dread- the dread of knowing that everyone he's ever loved was suffering.

Frostbite had no doubt that Canary was working Amber to the bone, making her patrol all day and night with minimal rest. He shivered, realizing that if Captain Canary didn't kill her, a dragon from an enemy tribe would. Still, he knew his SkyWing mother couldn't be dead yet. Canary surely would've come down to boast if she was. The berries kept coming, indicating that the SkyWing captain was alive as well.

Topaz would likely spend her days alone, waiting for her mother to come home just like Frostbite had when he was a hatchling. Hopefully, Thunderstorm would be willing to keep her company. The marigold SkyWing was the only dragon besides Amber or Topaz Frostbite trusted completely.

It wasn't until the young IceWing thought about what his family was doing without him that he realized just how important he was to them. He missed them both dearly, and the more he thought about them, the more he could feel loneliness seeping into his bones.

Sleep was his only escape from the harsh reality in which he was imprisoned. The sedatives in the berries seemed to shut down his mind completely, giving Frostbite no dreams as he slumbered.

However, the pink fruits couldn't supply the young IceWing with all the nutrients a growing dragon needs. Soon, he began waking up with his head aching and his stomach churning, perhaps trying to digest itself. Eventually, Frostbite resorted to the horrendous root for supplements.

It seemed that no matter how long the root remained detached from the soil, it never dried out. Although he still hated its biting taste, the young IceWing had to admit that the plant made him feel a lot better as a whole.

By the time he had devoured the nutrient-filled snack completely, a new one had grown down from the same place in the ceiling.

The IceWing dragonet quickly lost track of time. How long had he been down there? Days? Weeks? Months? His only clue was a small, green stem sprouting from the grass that seemed to grow taller each time he rose from his sleep.

As the days carried on, a sense of powerlessness consumed Frostbite's soul like a wolf would devour a hare.

It didn't matter if he remained dormant for two thousand years. If Frostbite could never see his family again, he didn't want to wake up. He didn't care what happened next- he had no control over it. All he knew was that he'd be willing to rot in the ancient dungeon forever if it meant that Amber and Topaz could live a happy life together, even without him.

* * *

The sound of light drizzle was a refreshing addition the Diamond Spray River rushing along overhead. Mixing together perfectly, the two collections of water composed a calming symphony.

The noise of the river put Frostbite at ease while he slept in his cave, but that was before he had to listen to it right above him with no way to make it any quieter.

The liquid that dripped from the ceiling had been transformed into a heavy downpour with the help of the rain, splattering on the ground and coating Frostbite's scales with their frigid temperature.

Typically, the young IceWing didn't pay very much attention to when the water was strengthened; however, this time, he noticed the tall, green stem growing from the grass struggling to keep itself upright. The plant had grown a large bulb on top that was prone to being knocked around by the onslaught of water from above.

Frostbite decided that the small stem could use some help, just like him. Carefully, he spread his functional wing out over the plant, shielding it from the downpour. The ease of which Frostbite could cover the entire patch of grass surprised him. Either his mind had been playing tricks on him, or his wing had grown bigger.

The cold water dispersing over his membrane made the kind IceWing shiver, but he decided that it was worth keeping the plant alive if it grew into a colorful flower. He was tired of staring at the dull colors of the gray walls and dark ceiling that grew ever more boring by the day. Even the shiny berries lost their impact. Though they came in many shades, they all shared the same base color. Hopefully, the blossom wouldn't be pink.

The IceWing dragonet chose not to eat the round fruits just yet. He wanted to lie with his new plant friend, at least until the rain stopped and it would be safe.

Suddenly, the room started shaking lightly like it always did before the SkyWing captain arrived or departed. After a few seconds, the trapdoor swung open, and sure enough, there she was.

Although her scales were soaking wet, Captain Canary had a sickening smile up for display.

As far as Frostbite could tell, she wasn't carrying a wooden bowl or any berries, which meant she must have come to tell him something. Something important.

His stomach lurched.

"Good morning, Frostbite," Canary greeted him casually as she made her way inside and out of the rain. She turned her head toward the plant he was guarding. "Glad I caught you before you fell asleep. Ah, I see you've taken a liking to that little stem there. You know, for an ice dragon, you certainly have a warm heart."

Slowly, Canary stretched her talons and nudged the plant's bulb. Much to the concerned IceWing's relief, she didn't seem to mean the stem any harm.

"It's hard to say exactly where it came from, but I think its seed fell down here after being carried by the river. Actually, it could've come all the way from the Sky Palace," Canary informed him.

The SkyWing captain looked at Frostbite expectantly, but he kept his teeth sealed. He wasn't in the mood to talk. Knowing Canary, doing so would only slow the process of hearing what she had to tell him- though, he already had a terrible idea of news she had come to deliver.

She frowned at him.

"It's been so long since I've heard your voice. I've almost forgotten what you sound like."

Frostbite remained silent.

"Alright, I get it," the SkyWing captain confirmed. "You just want to know why I'm here, yes?"

He nodded slowly as his heart started beating faster. Frostbite then lowered his head upon the soft blanket, preparing himself for the words he'd been dreading since Canary had told him her plan.

"Oh, lighten up," Canary commanded. "It's not about that miserable SkyWing you choose to call 'Mother.'"

Frostbite straightened his neck and stared directly into Canary's glowing eyes.

"It's not?" he blurted, feeling a small sense of relief, but also a wave of confusion. His voice came out sounding hoarse- he hadn't talked to anyone in a while.

"No, darling, it's not," the SkyWing captain repeated. "Though, I should mention that she cries every time it rains. Sorry that this is taking so long, but she can't seem to pull herself together, and I'm having too much fun playing with her."

Frostbite frowned.

Mother really misses me. She definitely misses Nimbus, too. I've been over this so many times, but I still feel like this is somehow my fault- like I'm the reason she has to suffer.

"Anyway, are you familiar with the Dragonets of Destiny?" Canary interrupted him.

The young IceWing's eyes widened in bewilderment.

"Yes! I know about them!" Frostbite cheered, forgetting about the sadness he felt just moments ago. "They're supposed to end the war! Wait… did you come to tell me that they did it? Did the prophecy come true? Did they pick a new SandWing queen? Is the war over? I know it's still a few years before the prophecy said it would be, but even NightWings must make mistakes sometimes, right?"

"I'm afraid they won't be ending anything but the rumors that they will succeed," the SkyWing captain informed him.

"Wha… What does that mean?" Frostbite stuttered. "Wait… are they _dead_?"

" _Pfft_. It's far worse than that, Frostbite," Canary laughed. "They're being held at the Sky Palace. The queen recently found out where they've been hiding; now she has them all to herself. To think that they've been concealed beneath our noses this whole time…"

"You… you're making it sound like that's a good thing," the young IceWing accused her.

"Well, of course it is!" the SkyWing captain declared, flaring her gigantic wings to emphasize her words. "We can't have any uncertainties in the war. Imagine being a SkyWing and losing the battle you've been fighting your entire life just because a group of dragonets chose the wrong queen."

"They don't want to make anyone feel like they've lost. They're just trying to stop all the fighting," Frostbite protested. "What's going to happen to them?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say the queen would throw them all in her arena. No one's ever seen a NightWing fight before. It's going to be… What's that word the queen always uses? Thrilling."

Frostbite quivered. Something about the way she pronounced her last statement made him feel uneasy.

"Oh, and don't get your hopes up about them being rescued," Canary continued maliciously. "They don't even have the SkyWing with them. My point is, even if they do manage to escape, there's no way they could end the war. The prophecy has already been broken. They failed their journey before it even started. Hear my words; the SkyWings will win the war, even if we have to fight for one hundred years!"

The young IceWing placed his head in his talons and groaned.

 _I thought things were bad when Mother was doomed… Now, the rest of Pyrrhia is as well._


	17. Chapter 16

**\- Chapter 16 -**

If there was ever anything Frostbite believed in with his whole heart, it was the prophecy- the promise that one day, others could accept him for who he was.

If the Dragonets of Destiny couldn't stop the war, then Pyrrhia would still be in peril. The way things were going, it seemed like the war could last forever if no one intervened.

Even if Frostbite managed to escape from Canary's talons and save Amber, he didn't know where they could go to be safe. The bloody conflict seemed to stretch across the entire continent.

 _Maybe we could live in the rainforest. The RainWings aren't involved with the war, but are they willing to accept dragons who could be?_

From what he'd heard from Amber, the rainforest was filled with venomous snakes and other dangerous animals. Still, it was his best bet if he wanted to find somewhere that could shelter both SkyWings and IceWings.

Eventually, the rain ceased, and the river returned to its usual, calmer flow. As the water was no longer a threat to the thin plant stem, Frostbite retracted his wing.

In the bright moonlight, the young IceWing could see how the bulb seemed to glow a lighter shade of green than the rest of its stem. The water from before gave it a smooth, polished surface that caught the moons' luster. Perhaps it was close to blooming.

A strange sense of calm began to wash over Frostbite's scales as he continued to stare at the small plant. He felt like no matter how hopeless everything seemed, somehow, he'd be alright.

Eventually, he drifted off into the first natural sleep he'd had in a long time.

* * *

The sound of a dragon grunting, as well as the sound of two rocks slowly scraping against each other was enough to wake Frostbite from his light slumber. It seemed like someone was trying to get in, but didn't exactly know how.

The curious IceWing turned his head up toward the hole in the ceiling. The dark blue sky indicated that it was likely very early in the morning.

He figured that the noise was probably just Canary coming to replace his supply of uneaten berries, so he turned his head the other way.

Eventually, the scraping noise subsided. The steel trapdoor creaked as slowly, it opened.

Suddenly, the room filled with the sound of a loud gasp.

"Frost… Frostbite?" a familiar voice called. Its tone seemed warm, yet very concerned.

"Mother?" he replied with shock as he turned his head over his shoulder.

Inexplicably, the clementine SkyWing stood just above the stairs. Her stomach was thin, revealing her body's sharp edges and her eyes appeared darker than their natural citrine color. It was as if grief had physically drained her strength.

Around her narrow neck, she wore a round locket made of gray metal, and on both of her horns, she still had Nimbus' silver rings. Her face emanated nothing but astonishment.

"Mother!" Frostbite cried again as he ran toward the stairs, but the chain on his ankle prevented him from getting to the first step.

"Frostbite!" Amber repeated as she bolted down the stairs and wrapped both of her enormous wings around him, letting only his head stick out. "Frostbite! Oh, my sweet little dragonet, where do I even begin? You- You're still alive! I thought you were dead, but not a day went by when I didn't think about you. I looked for you every day for months, and I… I've been miserable without you."

The clementine SkyWing released him from her warm hug and held his face in her claws. Frostbite could see streams of tears running out of her dim eyes, and yet, she was smiling. He could feel himself crying, too. Seeing his mother again, alive, right in front of him- it all felt like a dream, though, he really hoped that it wasn't one. Fate had been so cruel to him lately, that the idea was well within the realm of possibility.

"And this locket I'm wearing- it's filled with all the scales you shed when you were younger," Amber continued as she ran her talons down his neck. "Oh, and look at you now. You look so much like your mot- I mean, you've gotten so much bigger! Oh, but you're nothing but scales and bone. I mean, you were always thin, but- _THREE MOONS_! What happened to your wing?"

Amber reached for his broken wing, then winced as if she could sense the pain. "Canary… she did this to you, didn't she? I swear she's been working me to death on purpose lately. Topaz told me there was something amiss when you vanished after going to see her. Canary lied to my face when I asked her about you, and she took you away from me, but now I've finally found you. I'm sure we can fix your wing later, but now, I don't ever want to take my eyes off of you again."

Frostbite placed his head on her shoulder and buried his snout in her neck.

"Oh, moons. You've missed so much," Amber informed him. "Topaz- she's grown so much. I'm afraid to say that she's outgrown you. Nimbus was gigantic, she must have inherited her size from him. I still miss him, though, even though he's been gone for around a year."

The young IceWing flinched and pulled himself away from his mother in shock.

"Did you say a _year_?" Frostbite questioned with disbelief. "That… that can't be right. I couldn't have been down here for a whole _year_! I… I…" He paused. Come to think of it, his legs and tail seemed longer than before, and his wings felt heavier. Even his voice sounded slightly deeper than he remembered it being. "Does… does that mean I'm _seven_ years old now?"

Frostbite could see the sorrow in Amber's eyes as she nodded slowly.

"Well, you're really close. Your anniversary is just days away."

"Canary put sedatives in my food," the young IceWing stated grimly. "I thought only a few weeks had gone by."

"I… I still can't believe it. Why would she do this to you? Why would she do this to us?" the orange SkyWing questioned with sorrow. "Things are getting wild up there. I don't know exactly what happened, but now, the queen might be dead. Since Canary is probably busy trying to sort things out at the palace, I thought that this would be the best time to find out what she's been hiding down here. I saw her move that huge stone to cover the trapdoor just a few days ago, but I never would've guessed that she was keeping you as a prisoner."

 _Huge stone? That must be what the grinding noise was._

"But why? Why did she do this to you?"

The young IceWing didn't want to make his mother feel anymore frightened than she already was, but he'd been given a second chance to save her. He was going to do everything he could.

"She… she was using me to make you feel sad," Frostbite informed her. "Wait a minute! Mother, you have to get out of here! Canary is going to kill you! She's the one who killed Nimbus! She's trying to get revenge!"

" _What_?" Amber shouted as her hazel eyes shot open. "That doesn't make any sense! No, wait, I believe you- I learned that lesson a long time ago. Moons, I don't know what to do now, but I'm not leaving without you. Hold still."

"What are you going to-" Frostbite started, but then he noticed an orange glow building at the back of his mother's throat. He closed his eyes as an intense burst heat flared just beside his bound leg, melting off most of the chain from the end of the shackle, though it was still clamped firmly around his ankle.

"Come on, let's go," Amber ordered as she started crawling up the stairs. "We don't have much time before Canary notices that you-"

Suddenly, the blunt end of a spear came swinging down from above the exit and knocked the orange SkyWing on the snout, causing her to fall back and cry out in surprise.

"Until I notice what?" the sharp voice of the SkyWing captain questioned as she stepped over the trapdoor. Canary wore a frown that could stretch all the way to the Ice Kingdom from the rainforest. "Notice that he's trying to leave even though I gave him both food and shelter?"

She tilted her head down at Amber, who was lying on her back at the bottom of the stairs and scowled.

"Canary!" Amber yelled as she leaped to her claws. "Where do I even _start_ with you? You- You just- _Arg!_ I'm going to-"

"Three moons. You're always so _dramatic_ ," the SkyWing captain interrupted with a bored tone. Slowly, she made her way down the stairs, taking pleasure in seeing Amber back away from her with each step. Frostbite ran and hid behind his mother, who had her wings spread out defensively. Walking on his new, longer legs definitely felt like it would take some getting used to.

"Well, it seems my charade is over," Canary noted as she began to circle the room. Her talons scraped the floor as Amber followed, trying to keep as much distance between her and the SkyWing captain as possible. "You've ruined my fun, as per usual, so I guess I shouldn't be so surprised." As Amber and Frostbite passed the stairs, Canary pointed the sharpened tip of her spear at them menacingly, warning them of what might happen if they tried to run.

"B-but why? Why did you do this to my son?" the orange SkyWing asked with a quivering voice. "And why did you kill Nimbus? I-I really don't think either of them did anything to you."

"It's more of what _you_ did to me," the golden SkyWing confirmed. "But now that I have you in my talons, I have all the time in the world to tell you what a horrible dragon you are."

Suddenly, Amber stopped. A formidable scowl made its way onto her face as she glared at Captain Canary.

"I'm going to make you eat those words," she hissed. "All I wanted was to live a peaceful life away from the war, but you just couldn't let me have that, could you? Instead, you just had to let _everyone_ know that you control them. You've been nothing but terrible since the day I met you. I was willing to tolerate it if it meant I could keep my dragonets safe." Amber's tail reached toward Frostbite behind her and began gently wrapping around his arm, assuring him that she'd do anything to protect him. "Well, that line has been crossed. _You_ should be the one answering to _me_."

Frostbite expected the SkyWing captain's rage to peak. Imagine his surprise when she started her response with a yawn.

"Alright then," Canary replied with a smugly. Her expression indicated that she knew she'd already won. "What are you going to do about it? Slice my neck until my head falls off? Tear my heart out and eat it? I should inform you that no matter what you try, you're not going to leave this room with your life."

Slowly, she took a few steps forward and arched her expertly sharpened spear toward the clementine SkyWing's chest. Surprisingly, the dull room didn't contain the familiar odor of black smoke. Canary didn't seem particularly angry, and Amber seemed mostly afraid, though Frostbite knew she was trying to hide it behind her glower.

"Do you want to know why?" the SkyWing captain continued. "It's because you're _nothing_. Nothing but weak, that is. Honestly, I'm starting to wonder whether you really _did_ kill that IceWing seven years ago."

"You… you've killed an IceWing before?" Frostbite asked with concern. Amber turned her head around to face him, pure guilt reflecting off of her hazel eyes. "O-oh, sorry. I should've known that you've needed to protect yourself before."

"He really doesn't know about it?" Canary questioned with amusement. "Three. Moons. And here I thought that this whole time he just refused to believe it. Well, congratulations, Amber. Contrary to what Nimbus said, you really _can_ keep a secret. Not from me, of course, but from your own dragonets. No wonder he still acts like he likes you."

"M-Mother? What is she talking about?" the worried IceWing wondered aloud.

"Well, Amber, looks like you can't run from it any longer," the golden SkyWing mused. "Do you want to tell him, or should I? I get the feeling that you'll be able to put it in a more subtle way, but I'll be here to make sure you don't leave a single, _bloody_ , detail out."

"Frostbite," Amber started with a sigh, nearly unable to meet his eyes, "I… we… you… _you're adopted_!"

While the maniacal SkyWing laughed in the background, Frostbite gave his mother a puzzled look.

"I uh, I kinda already know that," he admitted with confusion.

"No, it's not just that!" Amber continued as her tail wrapped tighter around Frostbite's scales. "Seven years ago, when I found you… there was another IceWing, too. She had a slim snout and bright scales… just like you. When I was on patrol, she attacked me, and by some miracle, I won- no, I survived. She wasn't as fortunate."

The orange SkyWing's full attention was placed on the young IceWing. Frostbite wanted to warn her about turning her back toward the dragon holding a spear behind her, but Canary seemed rather entertained by the ordeal.

"If by 'not as fortunate' you mean 'scorched to the bone,' then I agree," the SkyWing captain confirmed. Amber tried to ignore the remark, but Frostbite noticed her face tremor.

"I felt awful for what I did, but I was also worried that there might be more IceWings nearby. I was right. A little while later, I found you, defenseless and alone. All it took was one look at you, and I knew. Frostbite… that IceWing was your mother."

Frostbite felt like the world had been turned upside down. He held his head in his talons as everything seemed to spin.

"My… mother," he repeated slowly.

"Don't you see, Frostbite?" Captain Canary shouted from across the room. "She's done wrong to both of us. She is the true villain here."

The staggered IceWing could tell that Amber wanted to wrap her wings around him, but was unsure of how he'd react. Slowly, he approached her and laid his head on his shoulder, prompting a disapproving glance from Canary.

 _Mother killed… my mother? She always told me that she found me alone- which I guess is still true, but she never told me that she met my IceWing mother. She… she lied to me… But I understand why. She was worried that I'd hate her if I knew. I… I don't know how different things would've been if she told me. I wouldn't have hated her then, and I don't hate her now, either. It felt horrible lying to Topaz about Nimbus even for such a short time. Has Mother been feeling that way for years?_

"Words can't express how sorry I am," Amber muttered, trying her hardest not to cry again. "I… I wanted to tell you, it's just…"

"I understand," Frostbite assured her as he wrapped his thin tail around her leg. The sorrowful SkyWing gently put two talons on his ear.

"I wish I could tell you more, but I have no idea why you and your mother were here in the SkyKingdom in the first place. I didn't even know her name," Amber stated remorsefully. "I don't know your real name, either."

Frostbite closed his eyes for a moment. He'd never thought of himself as anyone other than 'Frostbite' unless he was imagining himself as a SkyWing. To be honest, he never thought the name was fitting, though, he had no desire to change it.

"Last year you tried to ask me about your earring, right?" Amber continued. "It belonged to your mother. It's such a beautiful sapphire, and you seemed to really like it when you were younger, so it seemed only fair that I let you have it. I know I can't ever make up for what I did to you, but I tried. Moving to Diamond Spray Town seemed like the best way to keep you safe. Well, I was wrong. I've been such a horrible mother. I should've risked my own life and taken you to the Ice Kingdom where you would be safe instead of putting you in danger by making you live here."

"You were just doing what you thought was right," the young IceWing decided. "Most SkyWings probably would've just killed me there. Out of all the SkyWing in Pyrrhia to find me alone, I'm glad it was you."

"Well, this _certainly_ wasn't as soul-crushing as I hoped it would be," Captain Canary interrupted with a disappointed tone. "Not that it matters- I was just hoping that you'd spend the rest of your life in the dark knowing that your only son hates you." Amber turned toward the golden SkyWing and stared down at her talons.

"I probably deserve whatever's going to happen now," she sighed. Canary nodded in response. "But please, just let Frostbite go. He's completely innocent."

"That's the plan," Canary confirmed with a sinister grin. "And for _you_ , my plan is five years in darkness, five years in pain… I'll make things up as I go, but I can promise you one thing- you're going to wish that I'd killed you now."

" _What_? You can't do that to Amber!" Frostbite protested as he pulled himself away from his mother's scales.

"Plans are always subject to change, Frostbite," Canary continued. "And unless you want my new plan to involve killing you in front of her, I suggest you stop arguing with me."

"Frostbite, just do what she says," Amber ordered, unable to meet his eyes.

"But where am I supposed to go? I can't live in Diamond Spray Town anymore," he realized with sadness. The orange SkyWing closed her eyes to think.

"If you want to come live with me, that offer still stands," Canary assured him. Frostbite shook his head. "Alright, well, let me make one thing clear- if I ever see you around Diamond Spray Town again, I won't hesitate to kill you." Amber turned her head toward the distressed IceWing.

"Frostbite… I think you should try to get to the Ice Kingdom," she suggested hesitantly. He stared up at her, his eyes full of surprise. "It's pretty far, especially for a dragon with a broken wing, and the more I think about it, the more I realize what a bad idea this is, but it's the only place where you can truly be safe."

"The Ice Kingdom?" Frostbite repeated in awe. "The last time I met an IceWing, they tried to kill me… but I'll do my best to get there if you think I should." Although he didn't want to admit this in front of her, the idea of leaving the Sky Kingdom frightened him, especially if he had to do it alone.

"Once they see all you've been through, I'm sure they'll welcome you with open wings," Amber tried to convince herself, hoping that she wasn't leading Frostbite into a death-trap. "Try to find your father. I didn't kill him, he could still be alive."

"You _do_ realize that the Ice Kingdom is on the other side of the continent, right?" Captain Canary interrupted. "Though, sending you across the world with nothing but your claws while dragons who would love nothing more than to kill you fly around seems like the kind of plan I'd expect from Amber. Well, I think I've given you both more than enough time to say your farewells. Come on up with me, Frostbite. I'll point you in the right direction." She lowered her spear, walked over to the base of the stairs, and beckoned him.

"Wait, I can't just leave Mother down here!" Frostbite protested, placing his claw on top of Amber's.

"Frostbite, it's fine. Just go," the clementine SkyWing commanded. "This is probably the last thing I'll ever do to make things right between us."

The young IceWing stared into her eyes. Although they looked sorrowful, a stranger sense of courage burned behind them. Frostbite stood on his back legs and wrapped his claws around her neck, feeling the back of her locket's necklace as he hugged her for what he feared would be the last time.

"I love you, Mother," he whispered in her ear. "Thank you for everything."

Amber placed her talons between the spikes on the back of his head.

"I love you too, Frostbite. Please… try your hardest to stay safe. I know you can make it home."

"Get over here before I change my mind about letting you live," the SkyWing captain demanded. "Though, letting you go is just delaying the inevitable."

Reluctantly, Frostbite released Amber from his grasp. His eyes started to water as he took one final look at her, then turned toward Canary and followed her out of the dungeon, the chain on his leg clinking with each step.

This wasn't the first time Frostbite was thankful for his light-resistant eyes. The morning sunlight could've blinded almost any dragon who had been kept in darkness for so long, though, the anxious IceWing still had to squint. The warmth he felt on his scales was infinitely more preferable than the frigidness of the cave.

Frostbite had forgotten what fresh air smelled like until a cold breeze traveled past his nose and cleansed his nostrils of the stuffy air he'd been breathing for almost a year.

As he adjusted to the outside world, the young IceWing was surprised to find himself facing directly toward the center of the shoddy guard camp, completely devoid of any dragons. He wondered why he hadn't noticed the trapdoor before until he turned his head to the left and saw a giant, flat-bottomed rock, about the same size as Nimbus.

 _Canary must have been moving that rock to cover the trap door. That definitely explains the weird scraping noise that appeared every time right before she entered._

Suddenly, the trapdoor closed with a loud creaking sound. Frostbite jumped and turned around to see Captain Canary with a pleased expression on her face, standing right in front of the Diamond Spray River.

"Well, Frostbite, it's been fun," Canary stated as she started walking in the direction of the guard camp. "Thanks for helping me out. I didn't anticipate this taking a year, but you were very patient with me. I appreciate it." She raised a golden talon and pointed to the north-west. "That's roughly the direction you'll want to go in. As you pass through the Claws of the Clouds Mountains, I'm sure you'll see the Ice Kingdom in the distance. Oh, Amber forgot to mention this, but you'll have to pass through about… hmm, I'd say entire Sand Kingdom on the way, which, in case you didn't know, is completely a desert."

"A… desert?" Frostbite repeated.

"You know, it's a place completely covered in sand without any food or water. If I were you, I'd take a good, long drink from the river before you start your journey," the SkyWing captain joked. "It seems that's about all I can do for you now. If a SkyWing guard decides to kill you, I can't control that. Well, I can, but I won't. Farewell, Frostbite. If fortune favors you, then we'll never meet again. Oh, and if you see Sparrow out in the desert, tell him he's an idiot for me."

The young IceWing didn't respond. Instead, he just stared ahead. His mother had given him one final request- reach the Ice Kingdom. He'd been given a second chance at life, and he wasn't going to let Amber down. A new sense of courage began building inside of him. Finally, Frostbite took his first step on what seemed like an impossible journey.


	18. Chapter 17

**\- Part Two -**

 **Lost and Found**

 **\- Chapter 17 -**

The woods had never seemed quite so eerie before. Although Frostbite wasn't anywhere near the Ice Kingdom, the air around him was ominously cold, singeing his nostrils each time he took a breath. Birds hollered in the distance, the calls echoing throughout the tall, thin pine trees that surrounded him like a giant maze, possibly warning of a ferocious SkyWing approaching. Firm branches covered his view of the sky above, protecting Frostbite from the keen eyes of his enemies, but not allowing him so much as a glance at where he was going. Avoiding any kind of confrontation with another dragon would be crucial to his survival, but the shackle on his leg clinked against every rock he stepped past. He looked just like an escaped prisoner, and in a sense, he was.

Frostbite tried to deny his fear and focus on moving ahead at a constant pace, walking over the dirt, moss, and roots that covered the forest floor, but he couldn't stop his mind from returning to the severity of his situation. He was lost in the trees with nothing- not even his gift of flight. All he had was his destination, though, he questioned whether Canary had even sent him in the right direction. She had no reason not to, yet, Frostbite knew how much she liked to mess with other dragons. All he could do was hope that he was on the right track.

At the sun shone down on him from above, Frostbite wondered how much longer he'd have to walk to reach the Claws of the Clouds Mountains. Flying there was significantly faster than moving between the trees, stopping every time he heard a strange sound. He hoped that he could be out of the Sky Kingdom before the day turned into night, though, exploring the so-called 'desert' seemed more intimidating without the light of the sun guiding him.

Through a small gap in the leaves overhead, Frostbite spied two brown falcons, gliding through the air and above the forest with ease. He turned to his broken wing and sighed.

Making it to the Ice Kingdom seemed like a daunting task, but Frostbite knew that he didn't have any other options. He had to find his way there- if not for himself, then he'd do it for Amber.

 _She could be dead right now,_ a dreadful idea repeated itself in his head. _No, Canary wouldn't let her die that quickly,_ the voice of reason countered. _She's going to make her suffer._ Unsurprisingly, that idea made Frostbite even more uncomfortable. While he was trapped in Canary's dungeon, he thought that he'd never see his SkyWing mother again. But he did, though, only for a brief moment before fate decided to separate them again.

 _I somehow managed to lose two mothers and two fathers… I wonder what my real mother was like. Maybe my father can tell me if I ever find him, and if he's not dead, and if he actually likes me. Nimbus was right- I was probably left in the Sky Kingdom for a reason… No, my mother died trying to protect me, so she must have cared._

As the worried IceWing paid more attention to his thoughts than his surroundings, he found himself nearly colliding with the short, thin trunk of an unusual tree. Frostbite stared up the collection of leaves providing a circular overhang and was surprised to see many bright fruits hanging from their branches. Red and yellow apples dangled from above, tempting Frostbite with their bright colors.

The young IceWing tilted his head down and stared at his stomach. It had caved in significantly since he'd seen it last, and if what Canary said about the desert was true, he'd need as much food as he could get.

Carefully, Frostbite stood on his hind legs and plucked the lowest apple he could see. As he felt the weight of the colorful fruit in his talons, Frostbite couldn't help but get a sense of familiarity. Although he would've preferred some meat after not having any for so long, the famished IceWing didn't feel like being picky toward anything that wasn't a pink berry.

Once he finished checking the apple's smooth skin for any unsightly holes, Frostbite put it in his mouth and bit down with a satisfying _crunch_. As the sweet juices gathered around his tongue, Frostbite remembered why he thought the fruits looked so familiar. They were identical to the one Nimbus had given him when they ventured out into the woods together.

Frostbite frowned. He had been struggling to get the image of his SkyWing father's broken body out of his head ever since he left the Claws of the Clouds Mountains. Luckily, the sound of two voices chattering nearby was enough to draw the troubled IceWing's attention away from his thoughts.

"This is the _worst_ ," a female voice complained from his right. It was loud enough to be heard clearly, though, Frostbite couldn't make out exactly how far away its owner was. "I can't believe Captain Canary put us on patrol today. I thought we'd get some time off with the queen going missing and everything. I sure hope her daughter is a lot nicer than she was."

Frostbite froze. He slowly turned his head toward the sound and saw nothing but a few short bushes; then, he contemplated what the voice had said.

 _The war can't be ending soon, the Dragonets of Destiny were captured… Unless… maybe they escaped! That's probably related to whatever happened to the queen. But… Canary said that they didn't have a SkyWing. Well, I guess the prophecy never said that all of them would be alive in the end. Maybe the war will end after all!_

"The worst?" a male's tone responded with confusion. "Surely that can't be true. There's no place in Pyrrhia I'd rather be than by your side."

Although he knew it was risky, Frostbite wanted to see the dragons who were talking, though, curiosity was his only motive. Slowly creeping up to the bushes, the IceWing dragonet raised his head over the dark green foliage.

On the other side of the shrubbery, a small clearing with a very familiar oak tree in the center waited.

 _That's the same tree I slept under with Nimbus,_ Frostbite realized instantly. _That apple tree was probably the same one he took apples from, too._

Beneath the oak's mighty branches, two SkyWings laid on their stomachs, facing west. Though they were both very similar in stature, one had bright red scales while the other dragon had dark orange ones. Frostbite couldn't make out many details from the distance that separated them.

" _Three. Moons_ _._ That was even sappier than… tree… sap. Yeah. If your goal is to make my fly away, then you're doing a great job," the red SkyWing claimed.

"If you took off, I would follow you to the end of the world," the darker dragon promised her.

Although he knew he was in danger of being discovered, Frostbite couldn't help but roll his eyes. Suddenly, his broken wing started twitching uncontrollably and rustled the leaves beside him. He pulled himself away from the bushes just as the female SkyWing stood up and stared in his direction.

"Did you hear something?" she asked her persistent friend.

"I hear nothing but the way my heart beats for you," he assured her. Thankfully, the orange SkyWing's insolence was more than enough to divert the other dragon's attention.

"Three. Moons. Well, I warned you. Goodbye!" The red SkyWing spread her wings and took to the skies in one flap, causing the oak's leaves to hiss and sway.

"My love! Please, wait for me!" the other dragon called after her as he took off in pursuit.

Once he could no longer hear the sound of wingbeats, Frostbite let out a sigh of relief. He wanted to go lie beneath the oak tree and think about Nimbus, but he'd be easily spotted by anyone nearby, and getting himself into more trouble was the last thing he needed. He did, however, need food, so he decided to fill his stomach with apples before continuing toward the desert.

* * *

As night began to fall over the forest, and cold air started shaking the leaves overhead, the seemingly endless landscape of trees suddenly cut off to reveal Frostbite's next obstacle.

Pyrrhia's vast mountain range stood spread out before him like a giant, endless wall. Frostbite never realized just how high the pointed peaks protruded from the continent's surface until he got to view it from ground level. Unlike the last time he'd been there, the mountainsides weren't covered with bright snow. Instead, dirt with gray stones embedded within the soil stretched upward beyond the thin clouds like giant, serrated talons. Frostbite realized where the mountains got their name.

Small silhouettes of SkyWings flying around the summits appeared to the north, but they were far too distant to be a threat.

The setting sun beckoned Frostbite like a beacon, illuminating a path in a gap between two of the mountains just small enough for a dragon to walk on without uneven footing.

Traveling through the peaks seemed like a task best performed under the cover of darkness, but the IceWing dragonet knew that his scale color was so different from the dull terrain, he might as well be glowing.

Frostbite decided to wait until the sun could better guide him, and he had a chance to rest his tired legs. His claws, sore and covered with hard dirt, ached from walking all day. Even his wings felt heavier on his back than usual.

He chose a patch of moss growing near the base of a wide tree and collapsed, letting the chills of the ground soothe his bones. Traveling through the forest gave him a chance to keep his mind off of everything, but now, he had no choice but to come to the realization of just how lonely he felt. Not even Canary was around to bother him. At least in his cell, he had the sound of the river to keep him company and berries for sleep. Now, he had nothing but the eerie noise of claws scampering up the bark of trees and the echoing hoots of owls preparing to hunt.

He had trouble falling asleep out in the open with no sense of protection, but as his stiffened muscles relaxed, he managed to slip away from reality.

* * *

 _A familiar landscape appeared to go on forever in every direction. Frostbite remembered the white grass and horizon that surrounded him from a dream he had after Nimbus saved him from the hostile IceWing._

 _A tall, red figure appeared with its back facing him from across the field. Frostbite recognized him immediately._

 _"Nimbus!" he shouted into the blank atmosphere before sprinting toward him as the grass tickled his claws._

 _The colossal SkyWing looked left, then right, and finally fixed his gaze upon the approaching IceWing._

 _"Oh, hey, Frostbite. I can hardly see you with all the… white here."_

 _Something seemed unusual about Nimbus' appearance. Frostbite then realized that his body had been liberated of all the scars and injuries he'd acquired over his years at war. Without them, he looked like a completely different dragon, a dragon who hadn't been hardened by the cruelty of the world._

 _"Nimbus," the young IceWing repeated as he came to a stop in front of his SkyWing father, "I… I've missed you so much. But… you're still dead, aren't you?"_

 _"Yep," Nimbus confirmed, his yellow eyes glowing in the white environment. "Died trying to protect you. You still owe me, by the way," he chuckled._

 _"Oh, right. Thanks for saving me… twice." Frostbite tilted his head toward his talons with a look of guilt on his face._

 _"No problem. Just, don't expect me to do it again, alright?" the crimson SkyWing joked._

 _The IceWing dragonet found it strange that Nimbus didn't seem too bothered by his own death. There must have been a sense of liberation that befell on him now that he didn't need to deal with the problems of the living._

 _"Wait a minute!" Frostbite realized with a sense of fear. "How am I talking to you now? Did I die too? I just went to sleep and… oh, this is just a dream. You're not the real Nimbus. Well, I've been wanting someone to talk to lately, and anyone who doesn't want to kill me sounds great."_

 _The giant SkyWing nodded in response._

 _"I'm as real as you're willing to make me, but enough about me. You've been through a lot, huh?"_

 _"I feel like the real Nimbus would be a lot angrier if he knew what's been going on," Frostbite explained. "Though, you're sense of humor is pretty accurate."_

 _"There's nothing I can do to help, so I try my hardest not to think about it and let whatever's going to happen, happen. Everyone else here had to."_

 _"Yeah, I guess there's no point in being mad if you feel powerless," Frostbite admitted. "And you're right, things have been hard, especially now that I'm all by myself."_

 _Nimbus placed a claw on the young IceWing's shoulder._

 _"Well, no son of mine is a quitter. You're going to march up to the Ice Kingdom, find your real father, and demand to know why he wasn't around to protect you like your mother was. Or, you could die trying, and get to be here with me for real, so, yeah, either way, things are looking pretty good for you. I want to introduce you to your aunt, Gale. Though, I suppose you'd want to meet your real mother as well. I'm sure she's around here somewhere."_

 _"Hey, wait, if you're really dead, can you tell me what happens after you die?" Frostbite asked with curiosity in his eyes. "Do you just have to stay in this white field forever?"_

 _"Alright, look," Nimbus started, "we both know that this isn't anything more than your dream, so I can't answer that honestly. But I can promise you that one day, we'll meet again, preferably later than sooner, but one day, nonetheless."_

 _"Oh, alright, well, I'll try my hardest to make it home, and I'll try not to be scared, either. Thank you, Nimbus." Frostbite tried to wrap his working wing around the crimson SkyWing's lower torso but was only able to reach the scales on his back._

 _"I'll see you around, Frostbite. Good luck on your journey. Gale and I are cheering for you."_

* * *

Typically, Frostbite disliked the fog. It was always so mysterious and foreboding, like one day, without any warning, it would swallow him up entirely, and he'd never see the sun again. Now, it could put the odds between life and death slightly more in his favor.

Bright clouds greeted the young IceWing as he woke, protecting him from the eyes of anyone who may be flying nearby. As Frostbite got back on his claws and let out a yawn, he realized that he couldn't see farther than a dragon's length in front of him. Even the tip of his tail seemed to disappear into the thick mist.

Dewdrops gathered around Frostbite's talons, indicated that it was still early in the morning. Thunderstorm once told him that he could lick the water droplets off of the grass if he had to. Though he questioned his friend's intellect, the young IceWing decided to take his advice. If he wanted to drink, he didn't have the choice; the river was far behind him.

As he searched for a patch of clean-looking plants, Frostbite determined that this was the best time to attempt to cross the mountains. It didn't matter if he had a clear view of the path ahead if SkyWing guards couldn't see him either.

After indulging himself with some wet leaves, the young IceWing turned to face the mountain range. They presented him with a completely different scene to the one he'd seen the night before. For a few startling moments, Frostbite couldn't see the small path between the peaks, but as he got closer, it's rocky-looking dirt became just barely distinguishable from the rest of the mountainside. Without a second thought, Frostbite began his ascent through the unforgiving peaks.

* * *

The path continued on for miles, twisting and turning more times than Frostbite could count, though, he couldn't count to any number higher than nineteen. He worried that he'd been walking in circles for hours, traveling up and down between the mountains.

The paranoia of what he could not see erupted inside of him. Was he being watched? Was he traveling toward a group of fierce SkyWing soldiers ready to end his life? Would he meet the same fate as Nimbus and die to a boulder rolling out of the mist? Though he knew it was useless, Frostbite couldn't help but dart his head left and right every few seconds.

Gradually, the fog began to clear, revealing more of his surroundings and making it harder to tell if he'd been in the same place twice. Familiar dark green bushes appeared on the slopes nearby, though, Frostbite decided that he wasn't hungry enough to see if they possessed any berries.

Occasionally, he came across a cluster of bizarre, spiny cacti. Each one had a spherical shape that looked somewhat similar to the inside of a tangerine. Their colors, however, were a much darker shade of green. While some were only as large as his claws, some had grown to be bigger than Frostbite's head. Unfortunately, he couldn't think of a use for them off the top of his head, so he let them remain at peace in their unusually cold environment.

As his destination inched closer and closer, the terrain became harsher. Winds traveled with frightening speed and force, nearly blowing Frostbite back the way he came. He dug his claws into the dirt to avoid being swept away, but a particularly sharp stone sank into his right claw, drawing blood of deep blue. After the winds ceased, he curled his talons around the wound and tried to walk without putting too much weight on it.

Suddenly, the seemingly endless cloud of fog disappeared behind him, revealing a landscape that Frostbite had never seen before. It was as if an invisible wall kept the mist on one side of the mountains.

The midday sun glared down at him with heat that thawed his frozen scales. Not a single cloud appeared in the heavenly blue sky.

As he began to climb down from his gap between the mountains, Frostbite saw sand that covered the world for nearly as far as he could see. Two collections of beige-colored buildings appeared far off in the distance to the north and southwest while a single, tall structure appeared even further off in front of him. The dunes ahead made the land seem lumpy and uneven. Beyond those, he could just barely make out a collection of white peaks- the Ice Kingdom.

An endless area of dark blue water was visible to the far left and right, making up what Frostbite could only assume was the ocean. He'd never seen it himself, and only knew of its existence from stories Amber used to tell him. An image of the strange sea monsters he'd seen on Pyrrhia's map flashed in his head. He decided to steer clear of the coast. It wasn't where he wanted to go, anyway.

As the young IceWing reached the small patch of grass that separated the kingdoms of sky and sand, he stared off toward the horizon. The desert was even more vast than he ever could've imagined without a single area of shelter from above in sight. It would take much more than a miracle to make it home alive.


	19. Chapter 18

**\- Chapter 18 -**

Sand. Never before had Frostbite seen a landscape he questioned being able to stand on. The difference between dirt and water was clear as night and day, but the sand looked like it could swallow him up instantly if he tried treading forth, spreading aside and letting him plummet to the bottom of the world.

 _How far does the sand go down? Is there anything beneath it? I wish Nimbus were here; he could probably tell me. Actually, if Nimbus were here, I probably wouldn't be out in the desert in the first place._

Seeing as there was no way around the grainy substance, Frostbite decided to test the sand with his claws. Slowly, he reached his talons toward the beige ground in a motion similar to taking a step forward. The cautious IceWing decided against putting too much weight on it in case he needed to jump back onto the familiar grass he was standing in.

For a few frightening moments, the tiny grains moved aside and covered his claw entirely, but he soon found leverage beneath the sand. Surprisingly, the sand felt soft; it was like walking on a fur blanket, but it was also uncomfortably warm, as if a fire were burning close underneath it.

He lowered his head to the ground and sniffed it quickly. There wasn't even a hint of smoke, but the barren landscape seemed devoid of any aroma his nostrils could catch on to. Even in Diamond Spray Town, Frostbite could smell the fresh greenery and the familiar scent of other dragons. He hated being completely by himself, but he knew the only way to find company was to keep moving.

Once he was entirely sure the ground could be safely walked on, Frostbite pressed onward. Traveling in a straight line toward the snowy peaks seemed like the best idea, but heading toward the buildings in the distance could be more advantageous. They seemed much closer than the Ice Kingdom, and maybe the dragons who lived there would be willing to help him.

If Frostbite remembered correctly, most SandWings were on the same side of the war as the IceWings, so he had a fair chance of not being killed by them… if he could make it there.

He chose the set of low-lying buildings to the north and continued. Pulling his claws above the sand took much more effort than he'd hoped. Even if he didn't encounter any obstacles, he might die of exhaustion before he made it close to his destination.

* * *

Frostbite had always considered the sun to be his friend. He used to talk to the grand, golden sphere in the sky when he was younger and had no one else to keep him company while Amber was away. Although he knew the sun couldn't hear him when he said, "Hello," or, "Good morning," he still took comfort in pretending he wasn't alone.

Even when everything seemed to be falling apart, he knew he could count on the sun to have his back; that was until it started trying relentlessly to kill him.

The great star's blistering heat attacked the scales on Frostbite's back until he felt like he was going to catch fire. Not so much as a single cloud appeared in the unnaturally bright sky to cast a shadow of relief.

If there was one thing Frostbite wanted more than seeing Amber again, it was water: the assurance that the once-trusted ball of warmth wouldn't be able to end his life.

 _Canary was right. I really should've drunk more water before I came here. I guess the apples I ate are sort of helping, but now I have a stomachache._

Blazing sand seemed to get into every crevice of the dehydrated IceWing's body. It hid in between his scales, stuck to the open wound on his claw, making it sting like a giant wasp, and entered his nostrils, causing him to open his mouth to breathe and lose more moisture. It even invaded his eyes, causing them to water up.

The metal shackle still clamped around his leg absorbed the sun's rays until Frostbite worried it might melt into his scales. For a moment, he turned his head around and saw an endless wavy trail in the sand from his tail being dragged behind him.

He couldn't take it anymore. He needed some sort of relief from the heatwave, or he was going to die. Darting his head left and right, the only objects of interest Frostbite could see nearby were a small collection of brown rocks with a tall, stick-like cactus sprouting from the center. A large, beige lizard with spikes beneath its jaw stared at him from atop the stones, then darted in the opposite direction and out of sight.

Finally, Frostbite pointed his snout at the shackle and prepared his icy breath. He didn't care about the injuries freezing himself might have if it could offer him some salvation. Much to Frostbite's disappointment, he didn't have enough moisture in his entire body to procure anything more than a few painful coughs.

Looking toward the sky, Frostbite noticed that it was late in the afternoon. He hoped the sun would set soon and give him a chance to cool off, even if it meant losing sight of his destination. The buildings he was heading toward disappeared every time he marched down the side of a dune, then became visible again every time he moved up.

Even if his wings were functional, Frostbite realized the desert would still be difficult to cross if he had to wait until night to avoid being roasted.

Suddenly, the sound of wingbeats filled his ears, progressively getting louder and louder. The IceWing dragonet turned his head and was met with the sight of two dragons flying toward him. One of them seemed a bit smaller than the other, and soared just above the larger one. Their scales were the same color as the sand below, colors that Frostbite had never seen on a dragon before.

Though he had nothing but the shade of their bodies to go by, he was sure that the two dragons were SandWings. Maybe they were coming to help him out; it seemed pretty apparent that they'd seen him and were coming to investigate.

Frostbite waited in anticipation as the two figures reached him and began circling overhead like vultures waiting for their prey to die. The cool wind being pushed away from their wings blew over Frostbite's scales, giving him a break from the heat. If these SandWings were allied with the IceWings, they could offer him salvation; otherwise, they could bring him demise.

After what felt like an eternity, the pair began their descent and landed in the sand to the right of the dehydrated IceWing, just far enough away to avoid him easily if he decided to lunge at them.

Upon closer inspection, Frostbite noticed that the larger one wore a black ring through his ear and leather bag secured tightly around his chest while the other one carried nothing at all. They both seemed older than him, but the lesser SandWing seemed to be the size of a young adult.

"See, Grain? I told ya I saw something whiter than usual around here," the smaller dragon boasted with a smug voice, pointing his barbed tail at the other SandWing to show off.

"Huh. I'll admit it: you were right," he replied in a grave tone. Frostbite could feel his pitch-black eyes piercing right through him. "So it's an IceWing. Aren't they supposed to live underground or something?"

"Don't be ridiculous! They live in the rainforest," the smaller dragon clarified. "They call it the rainforest because when ice melts, it makes rain, and when rain falls, it grows a forest."

"Dust, you know I've never seen rain, but something about that doesn't seem right… Wait, so if IceWings live in the rainforest, then who lives in the Ice Kingdom?"

"The Ice Kingdom doesn't exist! They just say it does to scare us. Why do you think we're not allowed to go there? It's because it isn't real."

"What are you talking about? I've seen it. It's not even that far away."

"I'm telling ya, it's an animus spell designed to trick us!"

"Then if the IceWings live in the rainforest, then where do the RainWings live?"

"Those don't exist, either! It's the truth, I swear! I mean, think about it; dragons that can change color? That's gotta be the craziest thing I ever heard!"

The way the two SandWings were bickering indicated that they'd forgotten Frostbite was even there. Although he didn't know much about the world outside of Diamond Spray town, the young IceWing was sure they had no idea what they were talking about, and seeing as the conversation didn't seem to lead to helping him, he decided to interrupt.

"H-help," he muttered in a dry, raspy voice. The pair of dragons redirected their focus from each other to him.

" _Ugh_. He's _looking_ at me," Grain complained as he let out a shiver. "He doesn't look so good either."

"Are ya saying that 'cause he's dehydrated or just 'cause he's an IceWing," Dust joked. "I wonder what he's doing outside of the rainforest. I know this other IceWing in Possibility, but I swear ya won't find 'im on the ground with a busted wing like this. Anyway, I'm pretty sure we aren't allied with the IceWings, so go ahead and put him out of his misery. Slash his throat, will ya?"

Frostbite felt his stomach lurch.

"Are you kidding? I just got my talons sharpened," the bigger SandWing protested. "Also, what if he tries to use his frost breath on me?"

"Then use ya barb and stab 'is heart before he gets the chance!"

"I just got that sharpened too! You kill him!"

The lesser SandWing stared at Frostbite and scowled.

"But their blood is so gross and _blue_. I mean, _look_ at 'im. I'll probably get some IceWing sickness if I go near 'im."

"Well, _you're_ the one who made us come over here to investigate. _You_ figure out what to do!"

"Alright, alright! He looks like he's about to die anyway. Let's just leave 'im here and pretend this never happened."

The larger SandWing nodded in agreement.

"Ya hear that, IceWing? Ya gonna die out here! Should've never left the rainforest, ya hear?"

"Yeah! That'll teach you for… uh… being an IceWing. Yeah."

And with that, they turned their tails and leaped into the air, soaring toward the west.

Although Frostbite's life had been spared for now, he wasn't sure how much longer he could continue on his own. The buildings didn't seem to be getting closer at all. Dunes appeared hazy in the distance, their swaying infecting the other sandy hills until Frostbite felt dizzy.

A feeling of hopelessness even greater than when he started his journey began weighing on his soul.

 _I'm never going to make it to the Ice Kingdom. I failed. Well, it's not like I had a decent chance to begin with. I'm sorry… Mother. And Father, if you're still alive, I'm sorry too. Nimbus… I'll see you soon. At least now, I'll finally get to meet my real mother._

Then, he collapsed on the sand with a cloud of dust. One eye stared into the sky as his eyelids slowly slid over it, filling his world with darkness.

* * *

A soothing feeling greeted Frostbite as he gradually slid back into consciousness. The strange sensation seemed to cover every inch of his body, sparing only his head, relieving him of the desert's blistering heat and the stinging in his injured claw. His mouth didn't seem as dry, either, though, he wouldn't mind having a drink.

 _Oh, moons… That's the third time I've passed out this… year, I guess. Where am I now?_

Slowly, Frostbite began to open his eyes. The first thing he noticed was the bizarre greenery around him. To him, the desert didn't seem like it could sustain anything more than a few cacti, let alone an entire area of slim grass and tall, thin trees with clusters of fan-like leaves at their tops that Frostbite had never seen before. Looking down, he realized that he was lying on his back in a circular body of water with his wings spread out beneath him, the injured one unable to be opened completely.

"Oh, thank the moons," a relieved voice sighed from close behind him. "I thought the desert sands had claimed another unfortunate dragon, but it looks like you pulled through. You were out cold. Well, not _cold_. Warm, actually. Very warm. Warmer than any IceWing should be."

Frostbite liked the new dragon's voice. His tone was so calming, the young IceWing could listen to it for hours. Of course, he couldn't do that now; he had to get up and meet the dragon who saved his life. Carefully, he tried to roll back onto his claws.

"Hey, it's alright," the soothing voice objected. "You don't have to get up now. Just relax and see how you feel." Frostbite obeyed, then coughed to clear his throat.

"You rescued me, right? Thank you."

"Ha, you're welcome. It's a good thing this oasis wasn't too far away, and you're pretty light, so it wasn't too much trouble. My name is Platinum, by the way. Glad I could be of service."

 _Platinum… That doesn't sound like a very 'SandWing' name._

his back legs and turned around to take a look at the new dragon.

Hiding beneath a chest plate of oddly reflective chainmail so tightly woven not even Frostbite could stick his talons through it resided Platinum's unbelievably thin chest. Most of his scales appeared so bright in color, a close look was required to notice that they also presented an almost unnoticeable shade of blue. His legs and head spikes seemed longer than most dragons', and his dark eyes looked a bit foggy, like rain clouds in the night sky. Many expertly-made leather pouches were strapped across his chest, as well as a long, brown sword case with the blade's hilt sticking out beneath his chin. Although he was well-equipped, Platinum didn't look more than a couple of years older than Frostbite.

"Whoa!" Frostbite cried, remembering what happened the last time he'd met a dragon from his tribe. "You're an IceWing!"

"Huh. Most of the time, dragons comment on how I look like I've never eaten a thing in my life when they meet me," Platinum replied with surprise. "But, yes, I most definitely am an IceWing. Well, appearance-wise, anyway."

Frostbite was too busy panicking in his mind to wonder what that meant.

"I don't have one of those necklace things, but it's not my fault! Please don't try to kill me!" he pleaded while stepping back into the oasis waters.

The tall IceWing gave him a puzzled expression.

"Kill you? I just saved you from dying in the desert sun. Ending your life now would seem a bit counterproductive, don't you think?"

"Right, right," Frostbite sighed with relief as he stepped back onto the tall grass around the pool. "Sorry, it's just that the last time I met an IceWing, they called me a traitor because I didn't have a silver necklace. And they also kind of tried to kill me." As the young IceWing examined Platinum further, he realized that he didn't wear a necklace either.

"How bizarre. I assume you're referring to the ranking necklaces, yes? Even so, IceWings usually don't receive them until their seventh hatching day, and you don't look quite that old."

 _I'm almost seven years old. Does that mean I need to make it to the Ice Kingdom before my hatching day or I won't be accepted? It feels weird to think that I'm pretty much seven now. I don't think I was entirely ready to be six._

"If you don't mind me asking, what were you doing out here all by yourself?" Platinum asked with a concerned tone while readjusting the pouches on his chest. "You probably don't need me to tell you that traversing the desert on your own without any supplies is a disaster waiting to happen, especially during war-time, but that shackle on your leg gives me the impression that you aren't out here by choice."

Frostbite stared into the white IceWing's cloudy eyes as he pondered what to tell him. Platinum had been very kind to him thus far, but he might just as quickly turn hostile if he knew that Frostbite had been living with the SkyWings.

 _Do I have to make it seem like I know what it's like in the Ice Kingdom? Do I have to act like a real IceWing? Hmm… Platinum might understand if I tell him a version of the truth._

"I was being held captive in the Sky Kingdom, but I managed to escape," Frostbite informed him while a familiar scent filled his nostrils. He soon realized that Platinum was giving off the aroma of mint leaves. "I've never really been to the Ice Kingdom before. Well, I've never left the Sky Kingdom until earlier today, actually."

"Oh, that sounds terrible!" Platinum replied with shock on his face. "You mean you've never felt snow? And that IceWing who attacked you- were you both thrown into the queen's arena? Something strange happened at the Sky Palace recently, and they're saying the queen is dead; were you able to escape because of all the commotion?"

"Um… sure," Frostbite decided hesitantly. He wasn't sure how to respond if Platinum asked him more questions about how he escaped.

"Oh, sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself," the tall IceWing admitted. "Right now, you look like you could use some help." Frostbite had been wanting to hear those words ever since he left Canary's dungeon. "That shackle looks like it was made in a hurry- poor craftsmanship, if you ask me, so I could probably get it off if I had some tools. Your wing looks fixable, too, but I'd have to get a closer look at it."

"Really? You'd do that… for me?" Frostbite asked in awe. He finally started to believe that things would really be ok if he trusted the slim IceWing. "We just met, and you don't even know my name. Oh, it's Frostbite, by the way."

"Well, of course I'll help you, Frostbite," Platinum declared triumphantly while placing a claw on his chest and striking a heroic pose. "I've been trying to become a medic of sorts, studying injuries and antidotes and such. Not illness, though. Everyone seems to get that mixed up. I didn't check you for wounds when I brought you here to this oasis. Other than your wing, are you hurt?"

"Just this scratch on my claw," Frostbite admitted while presenting the wound out in front of him. Platinum took his talons and stared thoughtfully at the sand-covered injury.

"Go wash the sand off in the water, and I'll come bandage it up," he instructed while reaching into a leather bag and procuring a thin roll of white cloth.

Frostbite dipped his claw in the warm water and looked toward the sky. The sun appeared golden-orange on the horizon, indicating the presence of the fast-approaching night. In the Sky Kingdom, the great ball of light usually disappeared behind the Claws of the Clouds mountains as it set. Now, the curious IceWing wasn't sure where it would go. He eventually decided that it would sink beneath the sand to the west.

Platinum walked up beside Frostbite and stared into the water.

"Alright, I think that's clean enough," he decided while fondling the bandages between his talons. "Let me see your claw."

Platinum wrapped five layers of the white cloth around the wound, then cut it off from the rest of the roll.

"Ok, that should keep the sand from getting in," the tall IceWing explained as he slipped the cloth back into its pouch. "Let me know if it comes loose or gets too dirty. It's about a night's walk from here to Possibility, and we really don't want that cut to get infected."

"Wait, hold on a second," Frostbite objected. "What's 'Possibility?'"

"Oh, right, my bad," Platinum realized as he ran his talons over his leather sword case. "Possibility is a desert town to the west of here that remains outside of wars. It's where I live, but I completely forgot to ask if you're willing to come with me."

 _A town outside the war?_

"That sounds great! Perfect, actually," Frostbite replied with enthusiasm. "Thank you so much!"

 _This is almost too good to be true! He's not even asking for anything in return; maybe not all IceWings are as bad as I thought. Platinum seems really nice. I hope there are a lot of IceWings like him._

"I was actually on my way back from the rainforest when I found you," Platinum explained. "Anyway, I'm going to visit the Ice Kingdom in a couple of days to help a friend with amnesia, so you're more than welcome to come along with me. Strangely enough, she looks a lot like you- very similar eyes. She's a lot bigger, though." The tall IceWing tilted his head towards the sky. "The sun's setting now, which means it will be a lot colder than during the day, and there won't be as many SandWings out. If you're ready, I think we should get moving."

Frostbite stared at his broken wing, then back at Platinum. Before he could speak, the white IceWing answered his question for him.

"I'd fix your wing here, but I'd need a surface harder than sand to work on. I can't risk making it worse. Besides, I can tell by your expression that there are a lot of things you want to ask me. Well, we've got all night. Are you hungry?"

Frostbite knew he hadn't eaten anything since he was at the apple tree, wingbeats cut him off before he could nod his head. Both IceWings turned their heads to the sky and saw a large SandWing heading straight toward them. He had broad shoulders, much stronger-looking than Platinum's, and he held a long, menacing spear in his talons. A disapproving scowl made its way onto his sand-colored face as he flew closer.

Frostbite turned to the tall IceWing, but his expression didn't indicate fear. In fact, he looked as if he saw nothing out of the ordinary. The SandWing then stopped and hovered beside a palm tree, the wind from his beating wings blowing sand into Frostbite's face. Upon closer inspection, the startled IceWing noticed the scar of a long scratch along his snout. Suddenly, he passed his spear to one claw and pointed its metal tip directly at them.

"You, IceWings," he grunted in a tone lighter than Frostbite would have expected him to have. "Under the order of the eldest of the SandWing princesses and rightful ruler of the Sand Kingdom, I command you to halt."


	20. Chapter 19

**\- Chapter 19 -**

As far as Frostbite could tell, their only plan was to surrender to the pale-gold SandWing. Platinum's talons remained firmly planted in the sand like roots, nowhere near the hilt of his sword, and his face didn't emanate any sense of fear or anger. Rather, a sly smile made its way onto his expression, as if he were waiting for the SandWing to notice something- as if they had just flown straight into his trap.

Frostbite wasn't sure if there was anything he could do to deescalate the situation. All he knew was that he wasn't looking forward to going to SandWing prison or ending up with a slashed throat on the sand. Even if Platinum did have some sort of scheme, the way the large SandWing held his steel-tipped weapon indicated that he was ready to ram it through either of them at the slightest hint of retaliation.

"Ok, look," the dangerous SandWing started while cautiously lowering his weapon. "I know I told you to stop, but aren't you going to object, or run, or fight me, or something?" Slowly, he narrowed his eyes at them. "Though, I guess I shouldn't expect much from a dragon who looks as thin as a palm tree or an IceWing the size of a large camel."

Suddenly, Platinum's expression changed to a more disappointed look as he approached the flying SandWing with no hesitation.

"Come on, Spine. That wasn't a very nice thing to say," the tall IceWing informed him with a condescending tone. "You remember who I am, don't you?"

Recognition flashed in the strange SandWing's oasis-blue eyes as he dropped from the air to his claws with a cloud of dust. Platinum's stature was noticeably greater than the other dragon's, though, his slender body still made him seem much smaller in size.

"Platinum?" Spine sputtered as he shifted his head back and dropped his spear in the sand. The white IceWing nodded in approval.

"There aren't many IceWings in the Sand Kingdom, especially ones who go around wearing chainmail and carrying swords."

The broad SandWing opened and closed his mouth, then wrinkled his snout.

"Why do you wear that, anyway? Doesn't the sun make it too hot?" he asked with a suspicious glance.

"Well, I can just take it off, freeze it, and put it back on. That's how I keep from melting out here," the tall IceWing declared.

"Yeah, well, the metal blends in with your scales, so I couldn't really see it from up there," Spine argued insistently, clenching his dark brown talons around the warm sand beneath him.

"You even know where I live, so I'd say we're acquaintances if not friends," Platinum continued, pacing back and forth as if giving a lecture. "We see each other quite often, so you should remember what I look like, even without my armor."

Frostbite found it strange how Platinum could comfortably turn his back toward the aggressive SandWing without any fear of being attacked.

"That's just because all you IceWings look the same!" Spine objected with irritation in his voice. "You all have those weird black eyes! It's really creeping me out!"

"Spine, nobody is going to want to spend time with you if you say mean things like that," the thin IceWing stated in a calm manner. "That would be like saying, 'all SandWings look like vipers because they have forked tongues,' or, 'all SandWings look like scorpions because they have barbed tails,' or-"

"Alright, I get it!" Spine spat while re-equipping a solemn expression to mask his true emotion. "But you should know that you really aren't supposed to be out here in this part of the desert specifically. That begs the question: what _are_ you doing here? And why do you have this runt of a dragon with you? He looks like someone tossed him off a cliff. This seems _real_ suspicious. I knew you couldn't be trusted." He redirected his gaze toward Frostbite and studied him from head to claws with a disapproving glare. Frostbite curled his spiked tail around his talons, trying to look as harmless as possible. Spine seemed satisfied with the fear emanating off of him and turned back to Platinum with a wry smile.

"Spine, this is Frostbite," the white dragon declared while staring at the IceWing dragonet with more warmth in his eyes than Frostbite knew an IceWing could have. "He's a friend who just wants to get back home. He doesn't mean you any harm." While Platinum had no problem with sharing his own information with other dragons, Frostbite noticed that he was hesitant to tell Spine about him.

 _He's making sure Spine only hears what I'm comfortable saying. That's nice of him._

"Frostbite, huh? Well, he seems more like a snowflake to me. Do you really think I'm worried about this puny whelp hurting me?" Spine scoffed as he slammed the sand behind him with the barb of his tail and stared in Frostbite's direction.

"Don't call him that," Platinum ordered while involuntarily raising the unusually long icicles along his neck and appearing nearly twice as large. Despite his generally friendly disposition, he was able to give himself a much more demanding presence. "You don't know what he's been through, and to be completely honest, neither do I."

Frostbite winced at those words. Although he had endured a lot within the last year, the guilt of lying to Platinum began surfacing in his mind. The tall IceWing seemed entirely trustworthy and willing to help, though, Frostbite still wondered if he would have saved him had he been a MudWing, SeaWing, or even a SkyWing passed out on the sand.

Platinum turned his head toward the IceWing dragonet and gave him a sympathetic frown.

"Don't mind Spine, Frostbite. _I_ think you are very brave," he assured him while calming the thin spikes over his body until he possessed a much less threatening stance. "Now, as I was saying before our SandWing friend dropped in, I have plenty of exotic fruits from the rainforest. I'm hoping that the taste of one could help trigger the memories of my friend in the Ice Kingdom, but you're more than welcome to try some. Any specific requests?"

Frostbite's stomach roared at the mention of food. According to the position of the sun, it had been well over a day since he'd eaten anything.

"Oh, yes, please. I've never heard of any rainforest fruits before, but-"

"Pineapples!" Spine interrupted, flaring his orange sunset-colored wings in an attempt to become the center of attention. "Pineapples are my favorite." In some strange way, the impudent SandWing reminded Frostbite of his SkyWing sister.

"Fruit is for dragons with manners," Platinum informed him while reaching into one of his bags and procuring a smooth, oval-shaped fruit about the size of an orange. Frostbite didn't recognize the exotic snack at all, but was overjoyed when Platinum placed it in his talons.

The fruit's tip was coated with a bright red sheen that faded into a light green near the bottom. Without hesitation, the famished IceWing bit off half of the fruit, revealing a creamy orange interior. Syrupy juices welcomed themselves to Frostbite's maw as he continued to chew. Pieces of the delectable fruit stuck to his tongue as he moved them between his teeth. Frostbite wanted to keep the sweet fluids inside his mouth forever, but his ravenous stomach disagreed, forcing him to swallow and nourish his starving body.

 _That was the most delicious fruit I've ever eaten in my entire life. How many fruits like that are there? Do RainWings get to eat them all the time?_

"Aw, come on! Not liking IceWings is a big part of my job!" the irritated SandWing responded as his wings dropped to the sand. "Do you know what would happen if my guard captain saw me talking to you?"

"Probably the same thing that happened to you when you stopped me the first time," Platinum decided as he revealed a large, yellow, spiny fruit with a tip similar to a palm tree's and tossed it to Spine.

"Hey! You said we wouldn't talk about that," the pale SandWing objected as he caught the pineapple in both claws. "But thank you."

"There's nothing wrong with accepting mercy. I don't kill dragons, even if I do have to defend myself," Platinum remarked as he tilted his head towards the sky. "That being said, the RainWings didn't seem interested in ending my fruit-gathering endeavors."

"Hmfh," Spine murmured through a mouth full of pineapple.

"How do you protect yourself without killing anyone?" Frostbite asked after he swallowed the second half of his mango and placed a claw over his underbelly.

The tall IceWing placed his claw on the hilt of his sword and drew the long blade. He held it out sideways in front of him in a non-threatening stance as the setting sun reflected off of the gray metal. The sword seemed thicker than Frostbite had imagined, and brown strips of leather wrapped around the handle like a snake constricting its prey. Cautiously, the IceWing dragonet walked over and touched the freezing blade.

"I designed this weapon specifically so that it couldn't cut through scales," Platinum explained as he dropped it into Frostbite's talons. Its surprisingly heavy weight caused the young IceWing to drop the sword in the sand, then look back up at Platinum with an apologetic expression. "It's made out of all sorts of metal objects; old scraps of armor lying around after a battle, spears left out in the sand, maybe even a few coins. If its blade were any duller, I think it'd be classified as a club. Anyway, I just sort of… whack dragons around with it until they decide they don't want to fight me anymore."

"Are you kidding? It's way more complicated than that," Spine insisted as he began picking bits of fruit from his teeth. Frostbite noticed how he was missing a tooth near the back of his mouth. "You move so fast, it's impossible to hit you, which is more than enough to make up for the fact that you look so wimpy because if you keep hitting someone and they can't hit you, you're going to win eventually."

"Do my ears deceive me, or are you actually trying to give me a compliment," Platinum mused as he retrieved his sword from the ground and slid it back into its sheath.

"Look, my point is: you're a good fighter, Platinum," the pompous SandWing admitted uncomfortably. "If you weren't, then you wouldn't have been able to beat me; therefore, you're one of the best in all of Pyrrhia. Too bad the SkyWing queen went missing; she would have loved to have you in her arena."

Platinum shuddered, then looked at Frostbite with concern in his eyes.

 _Oh, right. He thinks that I was in the SkyWing prison and that I was in the arena. Spine doesn't know that, though. It's not his fault for saying that._

The young IceWing stood up and brushed his working wing's tip against Platinum's, assuring him that he wasn't offended by Spine's remark.

"Speechless, eh?" he continued. "Well, don't get used to it. Anyways, I better get going now. My brother's been acting really strange lately, saying things like, 'RainWings don't exist,' and I'm worried about him. Oh, and don't let me catch you around this part of the desert again unless you have another pineapple for me. So… I'll see you around, yeah?"

"Definitely," Platinum agreed as his expression shifted back to normal. "Come by my house in Possibility sometime. I might not be there, but Copper will probably be in town."

"Got it. See you later, Platinum. Oh, and Frostbud?"

"Frostbite," Platinum corrected him.

"Fine, Frostbite. I get the feeling you're going to have Platinum fix your wing for you. Well, just know, you're in good talons." Then, Spine turned around, got a running start, and took off toward the heavily-fortified structure near the center of the desert.

"He's a lot nicer after he's eaten, isn't he? Well, the night isn't getting any younger, and we probably won't have any more SandWing encounters after dark. Are you ready to go, Frostbite?" Platinum offered as he took a clawful of small mint leaves out of a bag and placed them into his mouth.

"Hey, Platinum, who's Copper?" Frostbite inquired as a slow, cold wind blew by.

Suddenly, the thin IceWing looked down at him, his cloudy eyes filling with guilt.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should have mentioned her already," he admitted while chewing the leaves into a minty green wad. "Copper is actually a SkyWing who lives with me. Now, I know you haven't had the best experience with SkyWings, but she's very kind and isn't involved in the war at all. She also really likes IceWings, so I can assure you that she isn't a threat in the slightest. Is that going to be ok with you?"

Frostbite paused.

 _I miss SkyWings, especially ones who won't try to kill me. It doesn't seem like Platinum is fighting in the war, and if he lives with a SkyWing, then he must be ok with them. I think… I think that means I can tell him the truth about me. I don't want him to think that I've been suffering for my entire life. Besides, he seems pretty smart; he'd probably find out I was lying sooner or later, but I'm sure he'll understand why._

"Oh, that's fine. Actually, I haven't been completely honest with you, either."

* * *

"So, if I'm hearing you correctly, Canary is responsible for your broken wing and is the reason you were on your own in the desert," Platinum concluded based on the skimmed version of the story Frostbite had given him.

Frostbite nodded, though, he wasn't sure if Platinum could see him clearly against the darkened skies above.

The young IceWing had never seen so many stars before. All the clouds, trees, and mountains were no longer made obstacles to his view. Even when he thought he was flying high above them, he was too busy flapping his wings to admire the gemstones overhead.

Frostbite yearned to be back in the sky, traveling through the air with minimal effort, though, he was thankful for the time he had to talk with Platinum. Being the only blue dragon among SkyWings left him with a lot of unanswered questions about himself. What could his frost breath be used for? Why were his scales always so cold? What were the spines all over his body for? It seemed there was no one better to interview than a genuine IceWing.

"And she did all this because Nimbus didn't fall in love with her?"

"It was a little more complicated than that," Frostbite clarified as he struggled to keep up with the tall dragon. Thankfully, one of the moons was full and bright, helping Frostbite keep track of his new friend's surprisingly reflective scales, making him glow like a white torch as he led the way to Possibility. The curious IceWing wondered if he was even easier to see in the moonlight than during the day.

Still, Platinum walked faster than most dragons he'd met- his long legs and light body giving him an advantage in the sand, even with his heavy equipment weighing down on him. "She also said something about power and wanting revenge on my mother." Though he kept it entirely still, Frostbite noticed the long spines at the tip of Platinum's tail graze the sand and leave several, thin trails between the grains.

The glistening IceWing sighed and shook his head.

"To be completely honest, I have a hard time grasping the concept of love," he admitted while stretching his wings. "Based on my understanding, if you really love someone, being with them isn't what's important. What really matters is knowing that they're happy, no matter where they are."

Frostbite thought for a moment. The cold air around him was drastically different than the lethal heat during the day. The frigid temperatures were comparable to the snowy slopes of the Claws of the Clouds Mountains. Though he'd been walking and discussing the events of the past year with Platinum, Frostbite didn't feel tired at all.

"Well, I think that's everything," the chilly IceWing declared while letting out a quick shiver. "Now I'm just hoping that my father is alive and will be happy to see me. I'm sorry for not telling you the truth earlier."

"Don't be sorry, Frostbite," Platinum instructed with a comforting tone. "Now, I know that you trust me."

Frostbite smiled.

"Also, I found it unlikely that the SkyWing queen would keep you alive for that long unless you were of great importance to her, and I don't recall any royal eggs going missing."

"So… what's it like in the Ice Kingdom? I know you said you live here, but you must've been there at least a few times, right?" the small IceWing asked with genuine curiosity.

"Well… that's a bit of a hard question, actually," the taller dragon admitted as he stopped in the sand. Frostbite continued walking until he stood beside him. After a moment of silence, he spoke again.

"I guess it really depends on which circle you belong to. You don't know what that means, do you?" Frostbite shook his head. "You see, the IceWings have this ranking system of sorts made of seven groups called 'circles.'"

The young dragon found it strange how Platinum referred to his tribe as if he didn't belong to them.

 _I guess I don't really belong to them yet, either._

"The highest circle is called 'the First Circle' and the lowest is called 'the Seventh Circle.' The higher the circle, the fewer the dragons that can be placed there," Platinum explained as he continued moving forward. "For the first seven years of their life, an IceWing dragonet will compete with other dragonets to get into the highest circle they can, then, as adults, they're given their official ranking, which cannot be changed as easily. They also get a silver necklace with rings hanging off of it to represent which circle they belong to."

 _I'm seven years old, and I don't have a ranking. Maybe… maybe they'll give me an exception._

"They achieve these rankings through heroic deeds, though, they've usually been war-related for the past seventeen years. Anyway, they want these higher rankings because they come with benefits. If I remember correctly, the first and second circles get to live in the palace. For the other circles, well, I'm not sure… They call the ranking system 'The Gift of Order,' but I think it's more of a curse."

He then remained silent. Frostbite wondered if The Gift of Order had hurt him in some way. That would explain why he lived in the desert instead of with the other IceWings. Despite his sense of curiosity toward Platinum, he decided against asking him. After all, if the thin IceWing wanted him to know, he would've explained it already.

"What do you think they'll do with me once I get there?" Frostbite asked with concern in his voice as he lost his balance while climbing down a dune and nearly fell down on the sand.

"That's another tricky one. I'd think they'd put you alongside your parents, though, we can't say for sure if your father is part of the rankings. Moons, we can't even say if he's ever been to the Ice Kingdom in his entire life," Platinum stated thoughtfully.

Frostbite stopped dead in his tracks.

 _I've never even thought of that. Not in the Ice Kingdom… Even if he's still alive, finding him could be impossible! I don't even know his name, and he doesn't know mine, either! Making it to the Ice Kingdom is only the beginning of my troubles._

"I guess I'll have to wait and see what fate decides to do with me," Frostbite murmured dispiritedly as he began to catch up to Platinum.

"Hey, don't think about it too hard," the tall IceWing offered reassuringly. "Don't let fate decide what happens to you. After all, it hasn't been very nice recently, has it? That being said, if fate doesn't guide you back to your father's talons, I will. I'll do the best I can, anyway."

Frostbite smiled back at him. Something about Platinum's voice seemed gentle, yet confident, like a braver version of Amber.

As the young IceWing let out a long yawn, he noticed that his tongue felt dry. Though the desert was a lot colder during the night, there wasn't any moisture in the air.

"Hey, Platinum? Do you have anything to drink?" Frostbite asked hopefully. He knew that he'd be able to make it past morning without any water, but it wouldn't be pleasant.

"Of course," Platinum offered as he lifted his wing, revealing a stomach-shaped sack tucked away against the side of his chest with a leather strap. He slipped it off of him and handed it to Frostbite. The strange bag felt freezing cold and heavier than it looked as its shape contorted in Frostbite's talons, stretching and compressing as if something alive were inside.

"Uh… What is this?" the confused IceWing asked with a puzzled expression.

"Ah, it's a water bag made from a camel's bladder. It's perfect for storing water because it won't leak out, and it's very light when empty," Platinum explained as he pointed to the dark tip of the bag. "That's where the water comes out, but you'll have to take out the cork like this." In demonstration, he placed two talons on either side of the light brown cap and removed the cylindrical object. "There. Now, just pour the water in your mouth. Oh, and don't put your snout on the bag. I made sure the water was clean, and I intend to keep it that way. You wouldn't believe how many diseases have spread from lake water. I know I said I don't treat illness, but I can definitely help prevent them."

"I used to drink from the Diamond Spray River, and I didn't get sick _too_ often," Frostbite assured him, then poured some of the chilly water down his throat. He made sure not to drink too much, partly because he wanted to save some for Platinum, partly because it made him shiver.

"Well, moving water is always cleaner than still water," Platinum decided as he retrieved the bag from Frostbite and placed it back under his wing.

"Aren't you at least a little thirsty?" the young IceWing asked with concern. "I haven't seen you eat or drink anything. I mean, you chewed on those leaves for a while, but then you spat them out."

"Well," the thin IceWing started as he stared up at the full moon, "I have stomach issues of some sort. I can't eat very much without feeling sick, and even when I can eat, I don't enjoy it very much. Meat is too hard for me to digest, so I usually stick with fruits. It's not very healthy, but I don't have much of a choice."

As the pair climbed to the top of yet another dune, Frostbite looked ahead and noticed that Possibility was much closer than he remembered it being earlier. Only a few dozen sandy hills away, rows of dark, rectangular buildings with firelight emanating from a few seemed to be lined up in front of him, hiding the rest of the town from a ground view. Even in darkness, Frostbite noticed how no two buildings looked the same. While many of them appeared square-like, none of them held the same width or height.

"That's why I'm so thin," Platinum continued. "Even though I weigh much less than other dragons, I can carry all this equipment without it being a burden. I'm thin, not weak." Then, he reached into a bag in procured a clawful of small leaves. "In case you haven't noticed by smelling me, I really enjoy the scent of mint. I chew the leaves because I don't want my breath to stink, and, let's face it, lots of dragons smell really bad."

Frostbite lifted his own talons and gave a quick sniff.

 _I don't smell bad, do I? Well… I suppose I've been locked up underground for a year without a chance to clean myself. Hopefully, the wind from the mountains was enough to blow any odor off of me._

"The juice from mint leaves also helps you feel cold. I can't explain why, but I was able to create a solution that makes you feel just like you're in the Ice Kingdom when you let it run in between your scales; though, it wears off after a few hours. It took lots of leaves to make. _Lots_ of leaves," Platinum stated while lifting his head toward the horizon. "Ah, there's Possibility. You know, this town was formed from several SkyWing and SandWing settlements along the Great Five-Tail river merging together. They used to argue about which tribe owned the place, but ever since the war started, it's been a haven for all of the tribes."

 _There it is. A real town outside of the war! It looks so big; I wonder how many dragons live there. Maybe there are as many dragons here as there are stars in the sky… and I won't have to hide from any of them! This is so exciting! I wish Mother and Topaz were here…_

"Well, let's get inside. The sooner we do, the sooner I can fix you up and introduce you to my friends."


	21. Chapter 20

**\- Chapter 20 -**

In between the rectangular buildings, thin sandstone paths wove in and out of Possibility like a labyrinth, their grainy surfaces cracked and flattened by those who tread upon them. Up close, Frostbite could see just how compact the sandy structures were aligned, the gaps between most of them far too small for a dragon Nimbus' size. Unfamiliar voices echoed out of square-shaped windows, and busy talons scratched the pavement as the awestruck IceWing tilted his head towards the sky.

By now, dawn had just risen over the horizon, casting its warm light over Possibility and signaling the start of a new day. A group of five beige and fawn dragons soared overhead toward the desert, each one armed with a spear.

"Camel hunters," Platinum explained as he noticed Frostbite's uneasy expression. "Food isn't exactly common in the desert, so dragons are willing to pay a lot for it; not to mention the value of camel-hide blankets at night. You'd be surprised how the demand for resources changes wherever you go."

Frostbite turned to Platinum with a wavering smile, his tail twitching anxiously behind him. The tall IceWing's scales glistened in the early-morning sun like dewdrops on a field of grass after a rainstorm as he stood tall and confident.

"So, we're really here, a town without war," Frostbite mused as he stared at a thin path between two buildings. "I'm so excited, but kind of nervous too. It's just that… I never knew very many dragons where I lived, and this place seems so full, and so much of this is new to me! I've never seen real buildings before except for the Sky Palace from far away, and I've never been to the desert, and there are so many types of dragons I've never even met, and- and… I wish my mother was here. My SkyWing mother, I mean. Actually, having my real mother here would be nice, too. I feel… I feel like I'm living a completely different life. Like I'm in an entirely different world."

Platinum presented him with a small smile of recognition, as if he knew precisely how Frostbite felt.

"I'm sure you're eager to get inside, but there are a few ground rules I should lay out for you first," the thin IceWing explained as Frostbite flexed his talons in the warming sand. "Now, as far as I'm concerned, SandWings, SkyWings, and MudWings are by far the most common tribes here, so we are going to stand out. IceWings aren't exactly the most well-liked tribe in Pyrrhia, so try your best not to draw too much attention to yourself."

"Wait, I thought you said this place was safe," Frostbite objected. "You're making it seem really dangerous."

"Well, compared to almost anywhere else in Pyrrhia, including some places in the Ice Kingdom, I'd say Possibility is one of the safest towns for an IceWing like you," Platinum assured him.

Suddenly, the sound of claws scraping stone grew predominant amongst the sounds emanating from the desert town. A large SeaWing with lime-green scales layered over his body crossed the intersection in front of the two IceWings, allowing Frostbite a glimpse of the new dragon before they disappeared behind another building, dragging their long tail across the sandstone behind them.

The awestruck IceWing turned to Platinum with his mouth ajar, looked back to the path, then, back to Platinum again.

"That was a great example of another rule," the tall IceWing confirmed as Frostbite tried to piece together what the green SeaWing looked like in his mind. "I know there are many types of dragons you've never seen before, but please, try not to stare at them. Your actions may seem good-natured to you, but they might take it as a sign of aggression and turn hostile. Trust me, you'll have plenty of time to meet new dragons after we get to my home."

Frostbite nodded, his head too preoccupied thinking about all the excitement Possibility had in store for him to take Platinum's warning seriously.

"Well, I think that's about everything I need to tell you," Platinum confirmed with satisfaction. "Just use common etiquette, and I'm sure everything will be fine." He tilted his head down toward Frostbite. "Are you ready to go inside?"

The young IceWing nodded again, feeling his heart speed up.

* * *

"Alright, Frostbite. Don't leave my side."

Frostbite couldn't believe he was still in Pyrrhia. The tranquility of Diamond Spray Town's scarce population and flowing river were nowhere to be found amongst Possibility's crowded pathways, bustling with life. The world he grew up in seemed nothing more than a distant memory sealed away by the tip of Canary's spear.

Despite his almost uncontainable curiosity toward all the strange dragons, sandstone buildings, and vendors selling food and trinkets he'd never seen before, Frostbite stuck to Platinum like a scared dragonet would their mother.

Tribes of nearly every color filled the skies overhead, some flying low enough to touch buildings, their wings rousing up dust and blowing a refreshing breeze throughout the sandy streets.

The sounds of dragons haggling over goods, shop owners beckoning others toward their wares, and claws thudding on the ground nearby filled Frostbite's ears as slabs of meat sizzling beneath white cloth tarps introduced his nostrils to the unfamiliar scent of cooked food.

Involuntarily, Frostbite pressed himself closer against his guide's bony side, the freezing chainmail being the only thing keeping their scales from touching. Platinum looked down at him and offered his claw. Frostbite took it with no hesitation, fearing he'd be drowned in the ocean of talons and tails.

Although he could barely see anything over the heads of the dragons who swarmed around them, he realized they were the only IceWings around, never seeing a flash of white amongst the chaos of claws scampering around. Just like Platinum told him, SkyWings and SandWings seemed to form the majority of the town's population, many of them pausing to glare at the two IceWings with suspicion in their narrowed eyes.

As Frostbite tried to simultaneously take in and drown out the world around him, he was unaware of the large, brown tail sticking out from the side in front of him like a root protruding from the earth. Without any time to react, the distracted IceWing tripped over it, then quickly steadied himself on Platinum's firm talons to avoid falling completely.

Suddenly, a broad MudWing with sepia-colored scales atop his flat head turned away from a fruit stand and toward them with a look of bafflement that quickly turned into a scowl as he gazed upon their icicle-like horns.

"Watch it, snakes," he growled in a low voice that cut through the chatter surrounding them while cautiously pulling his tail away from the pair as if one might strike if he moved too fast. His solid arms and deep tone indicated that he was much older than Frostbite, though, the young IceWing had never seen a MudWing up close.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Frostbite apologized as he turned to meet the brown dragon's narrow eyes. "I wasn't watching where I was going." Upon closer inspection, he noticed the MudWing was missing his left ear.

" _IceWings_ ," he spat as if the word were poisonous, lifting his head in a dignified manner. "Good for nothing, all of you."

Platinum opened his mouth to speak, when suddenly, another brown tail firmly smacked the back of the MudWing's head. He winced in pain, then looked down as if he knew exactly what had hit him.

"Leave that dragonet alone, Marsh," a female MudWing ordered him in a sharp tone, walking into view beside him. "You'd be pretty uncoordinated too if your wing was broken like his."

Although she was considerably shorter than the other, her dominance was made clear in the way Marsh's eyes could barely meet hers. "What would our Bigwings say if she saw you trying to pick a fight in what's supposed to be a peaceful town?"

Marsh frowned at Frostbite with a sad look in his eyes, then turned back to his sibling. "You're right. I'm sorry, Salamander. It's just… Mudpuppy… I miss her."

Salamander spread a wing and draped it over his shoulders in comfort. "There, there, brother. I'm sure she's doing ok," she offered in a calming tone. "Just wait two more years, and the IceWings will set her free. Maybe even sooner; I've heard rumors of the Dragonets of Destiny around the Sky Palace lately."

"I'm tired of waiting for her to freeze to death!" Marsh objected, seeming to forget about Frostbite's presence. "We don't even know if she's still alive! Look at us, shying away from the war our sister may have lost her life fighting. She'd be ashamed."

"She'd be glad we're still alive, Marsh," Salamander decided with confidence. "As siblings, it's our job to look out for each other; and right now, I'm looking out for you by making sure you don't cause trouble here. Come on, let's go home now."

Marsh let out a hopeless sigh and began trudging west, dragging his claws on the warm path as Salamander followed close behind him. Before they could get far, she turned her head sideways to stare at Frostbite and gave him a weak smile, indicating she held him accountable for nothing.

"I'm sorry about that, Platinum," Frostbite murmured in shame of breaking one of the tall IceWing's rules, holding his head low. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble."

"Oh, that's quite alright," Platinum assured him, resuming their trek toward his home. "You were just too occupied taking everything in to be cautious. I would've done the same thing if I grew up knowing nothing but the forest. There will be plenty of time to explore later, I promise. Copper would love to show you around, but first, I need to make sure you're in good health."

Frostbite nodded and smiled, relieved that Platinum didn't seem disappointed in him at all. "Are we getting close to your house?" he asked eagerly, wanting to give his talons a break. After all, he'd been walking for two days and one night, and the hard ground was taking its toll on him.

"Yep," Platinum confirmed, stretching out his arm and pointing past a group of haggling SandWings to an intersection in a few buildings ahead of them. "We'll turn right and get out of this busy marketplace, then we'll keep going straight on a smaller path until we make it there. We entered near the south-east part of town, and my home is to the north."

Frostbite nodded again. The sooner he got there, the sooner he could get his wing fixed and look for his father; the sooner he could try to move on from his past, though he knew he'd never bring himself to forget.

* * *

After weaving through paths that gradually grew thinner and thinner until the shadows of adjacent builders covered them completely, Platinum finally stopped at a small square structure with curved sandstone walls like the desert's dunes at the corner of another small intersection.

Spearmint leaves trickled over the side of the roof like vines, making the home easily distinguishable from other similar buildings nearby. Still, it looked like nothing more than a large block from the outside, leaving Frostbite to guess what could be behind the few straw-covered windows.

By now, all the buzz of the marketplace had fallen far behind them, along with the smells that made Frostbite's stomach growl. Though he felt hunger creeping up on him, his excitement toward flying again greatly outweighed his desire for food.

"Here we are," Platinum announced, leading the way to a rectangular doorway carved into the building.

"It's a lot quieter over here than at the marketplace," Frostbite noted, his ears perked up, listening for any indication of other dragons nearby. All he got in response was his own voice echoing down deserted alleys. "I haven't seen anyone since we got on this path."

"Most dragons go out to work during the day, and others come back home to sleep after working all night." Platinum explained, his talons curling around the beige fur of the hide-covered entrance, then pulling it aside and poking his head in. "Hello!" he called cheerfully.

"Platinum! You're back!" a feminine voice cheered, her tone heartful and optimistic, yet, Frostbite found it somewhat familiar. "I thought you said you were going to be home yesterday, and I got a little worried."

"About that; I actually brought a friend with me," Platinum claimed while stepping aside and gesturing for Frostbite to follow. The young IceWing stood beside him, excited to meet the dragon who he assumed could only be Copper.

Although the walls seemed thick from the outside, Frostbite found that Platinum's home had room for much more than he originally thought. Even the ceiling seemed higher once he stood beneath it.

In the center of the room, a square, slab-like table stood, carved from smooth sandstone and covered in spread out hides, small logs of wood, and tiny metal objects.

Wide rectangles were carved deeply into the walls toward the right, the large indents acting as shelves, adorned with all sorts of scrolls, trinkets, and other eye-catching items.

"Copper, Jade, this is Frostbite," Platinum announced, drawing Frostbite's attention away from the artifacts in the wall.

"Hi there!" Copper chirped, lying on her stomach atop a hide-covered slab in the corner. Her scales, reflective and dark orange, perfectly resembled the metal she was named after and complimented her wide, honey-colored eyes. "Whoa, you're an IceWing!" she squealed with dragonet-like excitement. "I hardly ever get to meet IceWings around here."

Around the yellow-brown underscales of her neck, she brandished a silver chain necklace with a single, large ring hanging down from the center while a faintly glowing orb resided between her claws.

Copper put her talons above and below the faint blue light, twisted until the sphere was extinguished, then carefully put it back on the shelf.

"What is that?" Frostbite asked in bewilderment, torches being the only indoor light source he was familiar with.

"That's a moon globe," Platinum explained, nodding at the curious IceWing. "They grow from a tree in the Ice Palace that was enchanted by an animus with the same name as you." He paused as Copper stood up and began walking toward them, an eager expression on her face. "Two years ago, I wouldn't be able to comprehend an IceWing not knowing what a moon globe is. That reminds me, Copper, what are you doing with that necklace?"

"Oh," she stated in embarrassment, reaching a claw toward the silver ring. "I was just… you know, trying to see what being an IceWing is like."

As she tilted her head down, Frostbite noticed something move on her forehead. A black creature with several legs, two giant claws, and a long tail with a pointed tip just like a SandWing's rested right between her eyes, its color blending in with her scales.

"You have a giant bug right on your face!" Frostbite informed her with widened eyes. While he wasn't particularly afraid of arachnids, he'd never seen one so large.

"Huh?" Copper stuck out a talon and slowly raised it toward her forehead. The frightened IceWing watched breathlessly as the creature lifted a claw and gently grabbed her talon. "Oh, that's just SandWing," Copper explained with no sense of startlement in her voice.

"SandWing?" Frostbite asked, tilting his head sideways. "I mean… it kinda looks like a SandWing."

"No, his _name_ is SandWing," Copper clarified, tapping her snout twice, prompting the scorpion to climb onto her claw. "There are plenty of SandWings out there named Scorpion, so why not have a scorpion named SandWing?" She turned to the shelf and put SandWing into a rectangular cage in the wall with thin, wire-like bars and a sandy bottom. "You don't need to be afraid of him; he's very friendly. Anyway, I'm Copper, and that's Jade," she stated while pointing to a gigantic wooden chest beneath a rectangular window on the opposite side of the room.

Brown animal hides hung over the trunk's edges like the furs on a bed, however, a strange, round object laid in the center, rising up and down slowly. Dark blue and purple hues swirled around on its smooth surface like raindrops falling in still water, illuminated by the golden glow of a torch mounted on the wall.

Suddenly, it began moving as a small, blue head with two folded ruffs and sleepy eyes rose from behind it. Frostbite realized that it wasn't an object at all- it was a curled-up RainWing.

"She doesn't like talking very much, so don't feel bad if she doesn't say anything to you," the orange SkyWing continued, smiling down at the young IceWing. She was considerably taller than him, yet, she wasn't close to Platinum's height. "Jade's been with us for a few months… I still can't get her to talk to me, but I try."

"I've never seen a RainWing before," Frostbite mused, mesmerized by the wave-like pattern rippling across her body. For a moment, he thought he saw a quick flash of yellow in her ruff that was quickly extinguished as soon as they made eye contact.

He wanted to keep looking at her, to say something, even. He wanted to hear her voice, but he felt just as speechless as she was. All he could muster was a small wave. Jade lowered her head again, finally drawing Frosbite's eyes away from hers.

"You know, you have really nice quills, Frostbite," Copper stated, staring at the icicles on his head. "They're a little short, but you have so many of them! Ok, this might sound a little weird, but can you make them go up?"

"Um… I'm not really sure how," he admitted with a hint of embarrassment. "It just sort of happens… sometimes."

 _Can normal IceWings control it?_

"Oh, that's ok," Copper assured him with light in her voice. "Maybe Platinum can show you how." She turned to the tall IceWing, a hopeful look in her eye.

"Fine," he grunted and took a deep breath. Before long, Platinum's long spines stood tall over his head, like a crown made of ice, nearly scraping the ceiling.

"Look at that!" Copper cheered. "Isn't that the most majestic thing you've ever seen?" She gently nudged Frostbite's neck with the tip of her wing.

Upon hearing her words, Platinum couldn't help but chortle, prompting his spines to lay flat again.

"Hey, what's so funny?" the gleeful SkyWing demanded with an amused expression.

"Oh, it's just nice to know you have such an easy time being happy," Platinum explained before shifting back to a solemn expression. "Now, Frostbite may be our guest, but he's here because he needs our help."

The young IceWing turned his dislocated limb toward Copper.

"My wing is a little… broken," he claimed, wincing at the pain of moving it.

"Oh, moons! You poor thing," she sympathized as she began clearing the table in the center of the room. "Don't you worry, I'm sure Platinum can fix that for you in no time. He's a great doctor."

"I am _not_ a doctor," the thin IceWing clarified while assisting in moving the objects to the floor. "Doctors treat all sorts of ailments; I treat wounds."

"Either way, you're going to be fine, Frostbite," Copper assured him. "Could you come lie on the table, please? Kick your legs out behind you."

Frostbite obeyed, climbing the slab that was about half his height, then letting his front claws and tail dangle over the edges. Suddenly, nervousness began building in his chest, letting his heart beat more vigorously.

 _What if my wing can't be fixed? I'll never fly again, and I'll have to keep walking forever! Is fixing it going to hurt? What if I can't remember how to fly?_

"You seem a little tense," Copper informed him, inching in front of his face while Platinum's eyes examined the chain around his leg. "Don't worry, we've done stuff like this plenty of times before, but we've never had an IceWing on the table. Usually, we help SkyWings and SandWings, but one time, there was this SeaWing and they had this wound that was _so_ gross, and-"

"I don't think Frostbite needs to hear about that," Platinum decided, shuddering while walking to the shelf and returning with a few small, metal tools. "I'm going to start with your shackle first. It's not very tight, so there won't be a wound beneath it."

The kind-eyed SkyWing raised her head to look at Frostbite's leg, then turned back to him with an expression of curiosity.

"My point is that we were able to help them, so Frostbite has nothing to worry about. Anyway, I'm giving myself more credit than I deserve. Platinum does all the work; I'm just here for emotional support. If you're worried, you can squeeze my talons." She held them out in front of her and Frostbite accepted, placing his bandaged claw in hers.

"Your talons are so… dull," Copper noted with concern. "You must've been walking for a long time.

"Oh, Copper?" Platinum called while the distinct sound of metal clinking echoed from behind the injured IceWing. "Could you please remove the wrappings from his claw? The wound should be dry now."

"Certainly." As she began tracing a line through the bandage with her left claw, Frostbite noticed she was missing the talon furthest to the right. "Oh, that?" she asked, catching the small IceWing's glance. "It's my fault, really, but once, I saw an IceWing in the marketplace. She had these really pretty blue scales on her snout that looked like little dots, and you know me; I think IceWings are the coolest, so I decided to try talking to her. Well, I got a little carried away, and she must've found me particularly annoying because she tried to use her frost breath on me." She paused, staring at where her talon once was. "I'd be nothing but an ice-sculpture if Platinum wasn't there to protect me."

Frostbite looked down, ashamed of how an IceWing could do something so cruel.

"I always knew that frost breath was dangerous, but I've never even considered using it on a living dragon," he admitted.

 _Not even Canary._

"You're a good dragon, Frostbite," Copper assured him while placing the used bandage aside. "And handsome, too," she teased.

"Don't worry, she's like this with everyone," Platinum assured him.

"No, really, look at your eyes; They're so dark and shiny, like little pearls," she insisted, then raised her head over Frostbite's shoulder. "And _your_ eyes are beautiful too, whether you like it or not. They're like little spheres of ink mixed with just a bit of berry juice to give them that blue undertone. And, well, I spend a lot of time looking into them. While we're on the topic of eyes, Jade has some great ones too. Isn't that right, Jade?" The blue RainWing continued to lie motionless, not even flinching at the sound of her name. "That's what I thought."

Suddenly, a loud _click_ followed by a weight being lifted off of Frostbite's ankle informed him the shackle would no longer be a burden.

"Alright, now on to the tricky part," Platinum mused as he advanced toward Frostbite's wing. "Mind if I keep that chain as scrap metal?"

"Sure. I owe you so much already," Frostbite realized.

 _He's done so much for me and hasn't asked for anything in return. Then again, he knows I have nothing to give. I guess if I had the chance to help a wounded dragon, I wouldn't leave them to die, either._

"Ok, I need to figure out exactly what's wrong first, so this might hurt a bit," the tall IceWing explained. "Copper, try to keep him distracted, ok?"

"Sure thing!" she chirped as Frostbite wondered how to get his mind off his wing now that he knew he was supposed to. "So, do you want to tell me where you're from? It can't be the Ice Kingdom if you didn't know what a moon globe is. I thought it might be the rainforest since that's where Platinum was coming from when he found you, but you said you've never seen a RainWing before today."

"I live in the SkyKingdom, actually," the young IceWing informed her. "Well, _lived_ , I guess. This is my first time beyond the Claws of the Clouds Mountains."

Copper's eyes widened.

"Really? What's it like there?"

"You've never been to the Sky Kingdom?" Frostbite asked, trying his best to ignore Platinum's talons poking into his side where his wing should be connected.

"You've never been to the Ice Kingdom," she countered.

"Got me there."

He told her about Diamond Spray Town; about wading in the river and walking through the trees. He told her about rain and flying above the clouds; both rare commodities out in the desert. He told her about his home and his family: Amber, Topaz, and Nimbus. Occasionally, Copper closed her eyes while still holding his talons, as if trying to picture his words as an image in her mind.

"Nimbus… my mother used to say that name all the time before she disappeared. I was still under a year old, but I clearly remember that she kept asking when she'd get to see Nimbus again. I still don't know who she was talking about, but they must be really great if she wanted to be with them so badly," Copper stated while stretching her wings.

Frostbite understood exactly how she felt. He'd been separated from Amber, and he'd never get to meet his real mother, either.

"Well, it seems like we have a lot in common," he offered, trying to cheer her up. "What was your mother's name?"

She lifted her head and smiled weakly at him.

"Breeze."


	22. Chapter 21

**\- Chapter 21 -**

 _Breeze._

The familiar name echoed around in Frostbite's head, repeating itself meaninglessly until he finally grasped what he heard. The world around him vanished like a candle snuffed out by a cloth as he sank deep into thought.

 _Breeze? But how? Nimbus told me she died a long time ago, but this can't just be a coincidence, can it? Copper said that Breeze always asked when she'd get to see Nimbus… and Canary said something about her too when she first took me to her dungeon. What if… what if she wasn't really killed by IceWings at all? What if it was all set up to look that way?_

 _What if she's still alive?_

"Oh, moons, Frostbite, are you alright?" Copper worried as she squeezed his claws even tighter, dragging him back to reality. "Platinum, I think you need to be more gentle! Look at how startled he is!"

"No, I'm ok," Frostbite insisted, though, he had to admit Platinum's prodding grew more unbearable by the second as he stared back into Copper's wide, sympathetic eyes. He found their surfaces to be abnormally reflective, as if she were about to cry. "It's just… Nimbus, my SkyWing father, he told me he had a sister named Breeze, and he said she died while she was young, but he wasn't there to see it happen… Do you… do you think your mother could be her?"

Copper tilted her eyes toward the flat ceiling and began curling her long tail around her leg.

"That's interesting… Do you know if she ever went by the name Gale? It was a pretty long time ago, but I _think_ I remember my father calling my mother that a few times."

Frostbite's eyes shot open as his heart began pounding in his chest. The orange SkyWing turned down to stare at him as if she too felt his irregular heartbeat traveling through the tips of his talons.

"Yes! There's no doubt about it! Your mother is Nimbus' sister!" the excited IceWing cheered, straining himself to keep still as Platinum worked on his wing. "Wait a minute… If your mother and my father are siblings, then that must mean…"

Copper released his talons and placed her claws on his shoulders.

" _We're cousins!_ "

"Oh, good, you're distracted," Platinum mused as, faster than a strike of lightning, he pulled on Frostbite's wing, raised it, then shoved it downward.

The crack that followed sent shivers running all throughout Frostbite's body, lifting the once dormant spines on his back. With an uneasy expression, he slowly turned his head around and spied Platinum nodding with satisfaction before stepping away from the table. His eyes quickly focused on his wing, resting at his side as if it had never been injured in the first place.

Although it felt completely numb, Frostbite tried to spread it. Sure enough, it unfolded without issue. He raised it up and down, receiving the appropriate response each time.

"Does… does this mean I can fly now?" Frostbite asked, longing to feel the wind beneath his wings once more.

"Well, you might want to wait until you feel better," Platinum instructed, unstrapping a few of the pouches on his chest and letting them fall to the floor.

"But I feel fine-" the young IceWing started before the force of a thousand boulders pushing from all directions weighed down on his wing. " _Ooh._ "

"It'll be sore like that for a couple of days, at least. You're more than welcome to stay here with us while you recover," the tall IceWing continued as he peered over Frostbite's shoulder. "And judging by her expression, I'd say Copper agrees."

Frostbite straightened his neck and turned back to her, surprised by the small tears rolling off her snout and onto the floor. On her face, she wore a smile that could stretch from the Ice Kingdom to the rainforest.

"You… We… we're really related," she stuttered in awe, her voice shaking as if she could break out sobbing at any second. For a moment, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then moved her talons to trace the outline of his face. "I… I've only ever known my mother and father. I never wondered if I had any more family out there," she managed between sniffling. "I didn't think I could have anyone else."

Frostbite remained completely still as Copper continued studying him, trying to blink her tears away. He felt completely speechless, mesmerized by how his presence could have such an impact on her. Unsure of exactly what to do, Frostbite tilted his head and raised his wings, fighting the tenderness in his side. Copper accepted the gesture and wrapped her own wings around him, pressing their foreheads together. For a moment, her warm scales and teary eyes reminded him of Amber right after she found him in Canary's dungeon.

"This feels like one of those dreams I get all peppy about and Platinum has to calm me down afterward, but it's not, is it?" Copper wondered affectionately, finally gaining control over her breath. "Oh, I got just a little weepy, didn't I? My mother, Breeze… I love her very much, and she loves me too, but she's- she's somewhere else now, somewhere I still don't completely understand, but I hope she's happy. It's been seven years."

Frostbite forced himself deeper into the orange SkyWing's embrace, feeling her tail begin to curl around his, weaving through his spines. Although there was still so much he hadn't yet experienced, he understood exactly how she felt. He understood it all.

"My father, on the other talon- he hasn't been quite as kind to me. He never told me that he cared for me, or even let me try to hug him. He's… well, he's the reason I've been living with Platinum for a couple years- but I think that's enough about me. There are just so many things I want to ask you, I don't even know where to start!" Finally, Copper released Frostbite from her wings, though her eyes still stared at him as if he were worth his weight in gold. "I just can't believe it! I have a cousin; I have a family! Isn't that _amazing_ , Platinum?"

"Definitely," Platinum agreed as he emptied his pouches on an empty shelf beneath SandWing's cage, pouring a rainbow of mysterious fruits that seemed as if they could only exist in fantasy. Carefully, the white IceWing held each one to his eye, thoroughly inspecting their colorful sheens before placing them in a line from the deepest crimson hue to the lightest violet tinge.

"You said you enjoyed living in the Sky Kingdom, right?" Copper pondered as she helped Frostbite off the table, then grabbed and carefully spread his wing over it. The firm slab's support sent a wave of ease rippling over the tenderness in his side.

"I've always wanted to go there, but only if I can take Platinum with me. He says it's too dangerous for him to go during the war, but aren't the Dragonets of Destiny supposed to end that soon? Oops, I started rambling on again, didn't I? I guess what I'm trying to say is: what brings you out here in the middle of the desert? I don't mean to make assumptions, but your wing gives me the impression that you didn't leave your home by choice."

"It's a long story," Frostbite explained as the warm-hearted SkyWing's ears perked with interest. "And a bit of a sad one, too."

"Oh, moons. Is it going to make me cry?" Copper asked as she grabbed a tan fur blanket from her bed and draped it over her shoulders before sitting down in front of him. "It's ok, I'd still like to hear it- I mean, if that's alright with you."

Frostbite nodded. After all, he had nothing else to do besides waiting for his wing to recover.

While the small IceWing began to tell his tale, he couldn't help but notice the blue RainWing sneaking glances at him from the other side of the room, small, green streaks slowly making their way across her scales. He wondered what her story was; he wondered how a dragon surrounded by the breathtaking fruits Platinum had shown him could end up in a wasteland without any water in sight. Still, he found comfort in her emerald-colored eyes, pondering if, maybe, her tale was just a bit like his own.

With the retelling of Platinum walking him to Possibility, Frostbite's monologue finally came to a close. With watery eyes, Copper stepped up beside him and silently spread a wing over his back, comforting him with her warm scales.

"So, you set out to find your family, right? I hope that by finding me, you feel just a little bit better," she spoke after a few moments of silence, her voice heavy with sorrow. "You're a really good storyteller, Frostbite. Platinum told me that the best scrolls are ones that make you feel all emotional. The moons know I am." She paused and turned her head down toward him. "I think Jade liked your story, too."

"Really?" Frostbite asked as he rested his head on the kind SkyWing's shoulder. Copper nodded.

"She likes to go lie in the garden on the roof once things warm up outside, but she stayed to listen to you."

Upon hearing the SkyWing's words, Jade promptly slithered off of the treasure chest and out the door, her tail moving like a snake stalking its prey. Frostbite's eyes followed her, dazzled by the way her scales glistened like sapphires in the sunlight.

"I suppose she was so entranced by you, she didn't notice either," Copper giggled, flicking her tail back and forth.

"You should write a scroll," Platinum suggested, stepping away from his collection of fruit. "I get the feeling literature will be popular again after the war."

" _Yes!_ That sounds like a wonderful idea!" the orange SkyWing cheered. "Then, everyone could read it and know how evil Canary is!" She stared down at Frostbite expectantly, her eyes no longer filled with the tears they possessed just a few minutes earlier.

"I, um… don't know how to write. Or read, actually," the small IceWing informed them. Though he never had trouble admitting his illiteracy before, he felt shame in telling them the truth.

"That's alright," Copper insisted, lifting her wing off of him and turning toward Platinum. "I didn't know how to read until about a year ago, either. They offer free reading lessons at one of the libraries around here, though, most of the dragons that go are SkyLings and SandLings."

"'SkyLings?'" Frostbite asked.

"SkyWing dragonets," she clarified. "You know how when a dragon hatches they're called a 'hatchling?' I combined that with the first part of a tribe's name, so an IceWing dragonet would be called an 'IceLing.' Clever, isn't it?"

"Definitely," the young IceWing agreed, placing a talon on his chin. "I wonder why more dragons don't use that."

Copper shrugged, then stared longingly at Platinum's line of fruit, her eyes twinkling like stars.

"Hungry?" the pale IceWing questioned.

"Well, yes, but, I think Frostbite's a bit famished, too. He's been walking for days," she replied with concern.

"Go ahead and help yourself," Platinum offered, stepping away from the shelf. "Frostbite, do you have any preferences?"

"Wait, weren't you going to give those to the poor IceWing with amnesia?" Copper objected.

"I brought extras. Did you really think I'd fly all the way to the rainforest and not bring anything back for you and Jade?" he countered, a sly smile spreading slowly across his face.

"You're the best!" the orange SkyWing decided as she flung her arms around his neck. "I don't suppose you brought any- Oh, moons, you did!" Copper released Platinum from her embrace and placed her claws on a gigantic, green sphere with dark stripes laid across its surface.

"That's the biggest fruit I've ever seen!" Frostbite declared in awe. "What is it, exactly?"

"It's a watermelon," Copper informed him as she lifted the fruit and placed it on the table near his wing. "But it won't be for long if Platinum would like to give me a claw with this."

"It would be an honor," the thin IceWing teased. "But first, I need you two to get behind me. Frost breath, even if used on another IceWing, can easily be lethal."

"I think I know that better than anybody," the kind SkyWing snickered as she raised her claw and wriggled her talon-stump back and forth.

"What are you going to do?" Frostbite wondered as he inched his wing off of the table, wincing at the pain.

"He's going to make a Wintermelon," Copper squealed with excitement, gently pulling on Frostbite's talons, dragging him behind the tall IceWing. "Just watch, you're gonna love it."

"Alright, stay put," Platinum ordered as he placed his claws on both sides of the fruit and gave it a spin, prompting the watermelon to whirl around the center of the table. As Frostbite peeked over his shoulder, he noticed the dark green stripes merging together until the entire surface seemed discolored.

Suddenly, Platinum opened his jaws, taking a deep breath before engulfing the fruit within a cloud of pure, white frost.

"I hardly ever get to see him do that," Copper whispered as the air around them turned cold.

"I never thought about using my frost breath on food before," Frostbite stated, mesmerized by the sparkling mist. "I wonder what else it can be used for."

Before long, the icy shroud cleared, revealing the still-spinning fruit. The watermelon's once-green shell had been replaced with small shards of ice, coating it like the fur on a rabbit.

Platinum turned around and reached for a long blade on the highest shelf, then held its tanned leather hilt between his claws. The sword, reflective and silver in color, seemed much thinner than the one strapped to the pale IceWing's chest.

"Now this, this is unlike the sword I carry around- this can actually cut through scales," Platinum warned before bringing it down on the spiraling fruit, striking faster than a coiled cobra. "Though, it's much more proficient at slicing through fruit."

As the two pieces fell away, Platinum cut each half again, turning two slices into four.

"Whoa! How can it be so red on the inside if it's so green on the outside?" Frostbite questioned as he gazed at the frosted innards of the frozen watermelon. Copper turned to Platinum, who only shrugged his wings as he placed the long sword back on the shelf.

"I'm not sure," he admitted, grabbing two slices and placing them in his companions' talons. "It's always like that though, even when it isn't frozen."

As Frostbite held the large fruit in his claws, he couldn't help but notice how cold it felt, the unusual sensation numbing his talons.

 _This is even colder than snow. Is frost breath really that dangerous? Should… should I have tried using it on Canary?_

"I hope you like it, Frostbite," Copper said with a relaxed smile, poking her snout on the fruit's chilled surface. "Platinum told me that IceWings like to eat frozen fruit all the time. I wish I could make my own Wintermelons like he can. To be honest… I sometimes wish that I was an IceWing too."

Frostbite paused and stared at her with disbelief.

"Really? But why would you want to be an IceWing when you could be a SkyWing instead? Erm, no offense, Platinum."

"No, I see what you're getting at," he assured him.

"It's just, SkyWings can be all these flashy colors from bright red to gold, and you've got those huge wings to fly around faster than any other tribe, _and_ you have fire, which seems a lot more useful than frost."

Copper shook her head and placed a claw on his shoulder.

"Are you kidding?" she countered. "I mean, just look at you two! You've got all those quills on your heads, which are absolutely charming, and Frostbite, your eyes, they're just about the cutest little things I've ever seen! Not to mention your chilly scales and frost breath- they're nothing like anything else in Pyrrhia! It's like magic! Oh, and speaking of magic, IceWings have those glowing orbs and a wall that only lets IceWings get into the Ice Kingdom. It's so mysterious!"

"Magic wall?" Frostbite echoed, then turned to Platinum.

"Great Ice Cliff," he answered, flicking his tail once against the sandstone wall. "It stands at the border of the kingdom and kills anyone who tries to enter if they aren't an IceWing. It's nothing more than the product of unreasonable paranoia, if you ask me. Sure, it protects them during war, but it makes diplomacy about ten times harder than it already is."

Though he was completely immersed in learning more about other IceWings, Frostbite couldn't help but notice how Platinum referred to his own tribe as 'them.'

"Well, even if you think that's so, it's still nice to know we have a mutual respect for one another," Copper declared as she spread her enormous wings, forcing them all into a quick hug.

"Whelp, I should probably go deliver a slice to Jade before the Wintermelon thaws," Platinum decided, then untied a pouch from his chest and handed it to Frostbite. "I'm probably going to be up there for a while gathering herbs with her, so here's a few coins to go spend around the marketplace. Copper, I trust that you'll take good care of him." She nodded profusely. "Good. And, Frostbite? Try to relax for a while, ok? Forget about your worries for now- you'll heal faster that way."

With that, Platinum collected the remaining two pieces of fruit and headed toward the door.

"Platinum, wait," the warm-hearted SkyWing called after him. "You're going to eat your slice, right? I know shoving food down your throat isn't your favorite thing to do, but I worry about you sometimes."

"I will," he promised reluctantly.

"Alright, but you better show me the rind when we get back," she ordered, turning her head back to her IceWing cousin. "Oh, that reminds me, Frostbite- you're not supposed to eat the hard part, so please don't. I did once, and it gave me a really bad bellyache."

"Got it," Frostbite assured her as Platinum disappeared behind the camel hide covering the exit.

"Well, it looks like it's going to be just us for a while," Copper noted, flexing her talons. "What do you want to do first?"


End file.
